Life Ain't What It Used To Be
by hayleyjune13
Summary: Emily Ross is a bit similar to Daryl Dixon. She hates talking about feelings and she knows how to hunt. Can two people so similar get together and stay together, or will they break apart due to unruly little bitches and snitches in the group? Daryl&OC.
1. Chapter 1

_I'd been stalking this damn dear for the past day, why can't it just give up_, I screamed inside my head. My name is Emily Ross and I am a hunter. Ever since my mom died when I was 4 and my daddy was nothing but an alcoholic all the time that got enough money to pays bills instead of my food, I learned to hunt. Now here I was in the middle of a freaking zombie apocalypse, tracking a freaking deer. I looked at the fact tracks skittering themselves to the left and made my way to follow it whenever I heard a man shouting, but not loud enough to know he was in danger.

"_Stupid, motherless, poxy bastard!" _The man screamed. I silently walked upon the group but still hidden in the bushes out of sight and saw my deer laying on the ground with a huge ass tear into its hind leg. _Dammit, _I thought. That was my deer!

The group continued bickering and I couldn't help myself but think I wanted to join the group. I hadn't seen people since my old group. Granted, I hated the people in that group. They were nothing but a bunch of 'high class' men that gave women working jobs. Sorry, apocalypse or no apocalypse, I wasn't doing no other man's dirty clothes. He had hands, he could do it himself. The group continued arguing while I stood there watching in the distance. Seems like there was a fair amount of people here. The group broke in their ways and headed off to do whatever the hell they were doing. I could tell half weren't bad, but others were a different story. From the way the curly black headed man was standing, I didn't like him one bit, and it seemed like he ran the show around here.

All of a sudden I heard a twig snap and as soon as I turned around there was a pair of icy blue orbs stating into mine. _Holy shit, this is bad, this is real bad!_

"Who the hell are you?!" the man with a southern accent said. Georgia, I'd say. Must be a native.

"Emily Ross. 29 years old. You're the first people I've seen in weeks. Sorry if I was intrudin'. I'll be on my way now." I spouted off.

The man looked shocked, but it was quickly replaced with a emotion I couldn't quite tell. But then he got closer and closer to my face. I didn't know what to do so I matched his face with a gaze of venom. He looked momentarily shocked for a second and then asked what I was doing in the forest.

"Been trackin' that deer for miles," I said. Oh wow, didn't expect my accent to come out. Tennessean accents come out at the worst of times sometimes. I personally hate my accent, makes me sound like a damn fool sometimes.

"You, seriously?" He scoffed. "You look like one of them barbie girl types that don't even know what the hell the difference in bat shit and coffee grains are." _What the hell did he just say to me?! Oh hell, no, he better take that back, and it better be fast_

I threw a glare at him which he easily dodged and matched with his own. "Oh really? Well I can tell that you need to clean your Horton Scout on your back. Getting a little dirty don't you think? Well if you'd let me move, I'll just be on my way to find my supper for tonight. Not to mention I gotta find somewhere to bunker down. Sorry, I ain't the barbie you thought I was."

I turned on my heel and made my way past him picked up my pistol and my compound boy and started treking back whenever I heard the man say, "My name's Daryl. If that's your bow, I think me and you'll get along just fine." I smirked and walked back towards him.


	2. Chapter 2

After we stood in silence for a few seconds, I heard a grunt followed by a mumbled 'follow me'. After we passed through the clearing, I finally got to see the whole area of where the group was saying. I hadn't managed to look around before a curly headed man walked up to me.

"Who are you? Who is this Daryl?" the man said. I think I'll call him curly. I always had a thing for giving others nicknames. I even gave my best friend a nickname. Oh Lacey, I miss her. She never made it out of Nashville.

"This is Emily. Found her huntin' in the woods. She's harmless as I can tell." Daryl said while all the others of the group shot me looks. I didn't know what they meant.

"Well, Emily. I'm Shane. This is our camp. Nothing goes without my say here." I couldn't help but notice how his face changed slightly whenever he said that. There was something about Curly that I didn't like. Daryl shifted his weight awkwardly as Curly continued on.

"The brunette with the young child is Lori and Carl. Her husband is getting ready to make a trip to Atlanta with Daryl, Glenn, and T-Dog. The short grey haired woman with the girl is Carol and Sophia. Her husband is off god knows where. His name is Ed, you ain't missing much. That's Andrea and Amy making their way over to the to the back of the car with Carol. T-Dog and Jaqui are dressing the squirrels and Jim is off somewhere. The kid next to the car is Glenn. The Mexican man over there is Morales and his family. I think that's got everybody covered. Oh, and Dale on top of the rv keeping watch." Curly rambled on and on.

As Curly pointed out everyone, I looked over them and taking in the surroundings. It was nice here. Curly finished talking and said to either rest up or go find something to do. No one was idle around here. I just stood there for a minute or two and felt safe for the first time in weeks. When I was by myself I slept with one eye open, belted into a tree. I had no tent or anything. Just the backpack and my bow. I looked around to see what kind of jobs I could do. I like the brunette mom although her skin was an olive color, maybe she could tell me something to do. As soon as I turned around to go follow her, I saw Daryl still standing there.

I put my hands on my hips and gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, redneck? Something I can do for you?" He just gave me a glare and turned on his heel and stormed back off to his tent. Wow, he was strange. Maybe he didn't like the nickname? I quickly walked after Olive Oil.

"Hey!" I hollered out. Olive Oil turned around. "You must be Emily." she replied. "Yes, I am. I was wonderin' if you had anything I might could help you with? I questioned. "But I must admit, I hate doing laundry with a passion."

She just laughed and told me that Tuesday's were reserved for laundry anyways and well, one day I would have to do it. I inwardly sighed and made my way down by the quarry with her and the other girls. After letting loose for what seemed like ages, I felt like I knew the women.

"But seriously, can someone explain to me why we end up doing all the Hattie McDaniel work? Jaqui questioned. Amy came back with, "Didn't you get the memo? The world ended," which emitted a small chuckle from all of us.

We are started talking bout what we missed. "I miss my house." Simple as that.

"I miss my vibrator." Blondie said. At the same time Carol and I agreed, emitting a uproar from the women. _I missed laughter. It'd been months since I heard it. Going solo all the time is hard. If you laugh out loud you just seem like a maniac. Done it before._

"What's so funny?" I heard the asshole of a husband say. Man, I hated this guy. Reminded me too much of my father. That's definitely not the kind of reminder I needed.

All of a sudden he and Andrea were throwing words back and forth and Asshole tried to take Carol. I knew what he was gonna do. Happened to me all my life. But today, I wasn't gonna let her get hit. I liked her.

Next thing I knew, he had slapped her and Andrea started to fight back. Hell, I wasn't no fool. I ran forward in-between the mess and started backing Andrea off when I felt an elbow connect with my face. _Dammit! _I threw my punches at Ed wildly noticing that everyone had backed off cept me. We were at it for a good few minutes till I felt a hand grab my shoulders and pull me back. Then I felt hard gravel on my back, and by the time I focused my eyes again and caught my breath from the impact, I saw curly walking back to camp. Asshole. I slowly got up,all the women running over to me.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?!" I heard them say, while I heard Carol sobbing over Ed.

"Wouldn't have been the first time I got hit that hard." I heard someone gasp. Probably Amy. "Now, if you help me up, I think I'll go get cleaned and help with dinner." I said as politely as I could.

They got me standing and I walked off back to camp but not before I heard Andrea mutter, "I like her. She ain't of afraid of taking a hit. She's a tough bitch."

That brought a smile to my face.


	3. Chapter 3

As I walked back up to camp, I felt the pain hit all of a sudden. Son of a bitch had a mean right hook. It was bout the same as my daddy, if not harder. I walked up to the RV and wasn't sure if I should knock. Should I still have manners?

"You know, if you need in the RV, all you have to do is walk in. Your a part of our group, might as well act like one sweetheart. You remind me of my wife in a way." Dale said from inside the RV. "Come in and why don't you tell me why your face looks that way, okay?"

I went over the story with Dale telling everything. I don't know why, but I could trust him. I liked him. Not to mention he was so careful with me, telling me whenever it was gonna sting. Even though I never felt it.

"Dale, I don't have a tent. I was wondering where I could sleep tonight?" I politely asked. I needed a place to sleep. Hell even on top of the RV, would satisfy me.

"Why don't you go ask Shane, I'm sure he'll give you someplace to sleep. If not, you're more than welcome to take my bed. I normally take night watches anyway. Don't you try to fight me, it's yours when I'm on night watch if there isn't somewhere else, young lady." Dale told me.

"Okay Dale, thank you, so much." I responded with a small smile. I walked out of the RV and tried to find Curly. I didn't see him, so instead I found Jaqui who was working on some kind of stew I supposed. I walked over and tapped her on the shoulder.

She jumped back in shock and said, "Goodness child, you scared me. You're about as bad as Daryl with that quiet walking of yours!" I just laughed and apologized. "Sorry Jaqui, years in the woods'll teach you to be quiet. Just a habit by now." I said. Then I asked if there was anything I could do to help. She said there wasn't anything she could think of, but she suggested I go shower up for supper.

"A shower? Are you serious?" I questioned going ninety miles a minute. "Yes, dear. It's in the RV. It's just a little pump system Jim managed to make. Go on. Your backpack's near the fire. I noticed you don't have a tent with you. If T-Dog's not back by tonight, you're free to bunker down with me."

I smiled and accepted the offer and walked over to grab my backpack and walked into the RV. "Dale, I'm sleeping with Jaqui tonight, so that bed's all yours. Could you teach me how to work this shower?"

He taught me how to work it and as soon as he left I was rinsing and lathering my hair. I haven't had this is a long time. My thoughts went everywhere. I thought of Lacey and her brother Brody. He reminds me of Daryl in many ways. Pretty tall, brown hair, blue eyes, and not a sore sight on the eyes. He was handsome, just as Daryl is. Did I just think of Daryl as attractive? Hell, I don't care. He can't be much older than I am. Maybe 30, 35. He was nice looking. Reminds me of the good things at home. The water eventually came to cold for my liking so I shut it off and wrapped myself in a towel and dried off. The bathroom had a mirror and I stood there for a second before opening my eyes. The woman that looked back in the mirror wasn't what I thought she would look like.

I used to have puffy cheeks, but those were gone. My blue eyes were something fierce and my dark brown hair was curly. I hadn't seen curls like those since before the apocalypse. My collarbones showed before, but now they were so noticeable. I looked down my body and saw the countless scars that run up and down me. My fingers ran over one scar in particular that led from my left shoulder down my rib. That night was pure hell. I'll never forget the look on my fathers face when he saw all that blood. I shook my thoughts away and changed into a pair of skinny jeans, tucked my boots in, and put on an orange razorback tank top. Favorite shirt and my favorite color. I walked out of the RV expecting to see everyone but they were walking back down the hill with Jim. As soon as they handcuffed him to tree I went ballistic.

"What's going on?" I said as I picked up my pistol and tucked it in my pants. Then my knife in my boot.

"Jim's got heatstroke. C'mon Sophia, Carl. Let's go work on some math." Carol said. "Anything you need me to do Carol?" I asked.

"If you know how to clean fish, you'll be my hero for today." Carol joked. "Andrea and Amy are great fishers. They caught a dozen or more. Can you clean them for me?" I just laughed and nodded and made my way to the fish. Morales and I had been cleaning for a while, when he started asking questions.

"I'm from Tennessee. Small county. I knew everyone there. It was about two hours from Nashville give or take. I made my way south by myself. My best friend Lacey and her brother never made it out of Nashville. I had just got broken up with before this all happened." I said quickly. "I'm 29 and single. Funny how things turn out ya know? I was a surgeon before this all started. I minored in dance. Lacey always made fun of my choices. Called me a ballerina with a knife most of the time." I laughed and finished up the fish, grabbed my bow and quivers and headed to the quarry.

The sun was almost to the ground before I decided to get up and make my way back to grab some food. I'd just gotten my plate and sat down next to Jaqui whenever Amy got up to head to the bathroom. I didn't really like fish, but hell it was supper. I'd go out in the morning and find some squirrel or something. I sat comfortably and just started eating whenever I heard Amy let out a piercing scream.


	4. Chapter 4

I dropped my food instantly, only to see at least two dozen walker thingys coming at me. I jumped out fast grabbing my pistol pumping off shots, only killing six walkers. I threw it on the ground and picked up my bow simultaneously. I only had like ten arrows and soon those were gone. I looked around and saw Sophia and Carol making their way to the RV whenever a walker came too close for my liking.

I ran and called out to Carol, "Look out!" just as soon as she turned around I sent my hunting knife straight into the walkers skull. I heard nothing but screams and gunshots whenever I saw the men come through the clearing, popping off any dead walkers that were left. I got Carol and Sophia back to the RV and as soon as I did, the world went silent. No screams, no gunshots. No cicadas making any noises. It was too quiet, I couldn't stand it.

"NO! AMY!" I slowly turned my head closing my eyes. hoping that I wouldn't see Amy bitten. I liked her. Granted she was no where near my age range, but she was still my friend. I opened my eyes to see Andrea kneeling down over Amy who was bleeding out, all over the ground. _No, this can't be happening. _I scanned my eyes looking to see who had fallen. I saw a man hugging Lori and Carl, who must be Rick. My eyes finally found the person I was looking for. Daryl. He was perfectly fine. He gazed at me a distance and seemed to look me up and down checking if I was okay. Everyone was in a state of shock while Dale, T-Dog, Daryl and I kept look out for any stragglers. Everyone made their ways off to bed while I stood around paranoid.

"Emily, that bed's open," Dale said. "No thank ya Dale, I'm gonna take watch for tonight if you don't mind." I said. "You sure?" he questioned. "Yeah, Dale. You knew her, I didn't know nothing but her name. You need sleep more than me, go to bed please?" I asked him as quietly as I could.

"Okay," he said quietly and walked into the RV. I climbed on top of the RV and stood looking at the woods just waiting for more to come out. It was at least three in the morning when I saw Daryl walk out of his tent. There was an emotion on his face that I couldn't tell what it was. It looked like just discomfort. Did he not care about the people here? Or was he just shutting these people out so he didn't have to deal with the heartbreak? I went through that phase once before. I know what it felt like to be an outcast.

"Hey, woman!" I heard him say.

"What you want, redneck?" I slightly yelled at him. I accompanied it with a sly smirk so he knew I was kidding. "I'm going hunting. Go wake Dale, get your panties on and you can come with me." He said fast and walked down to the quarry probably to wash up some.

I went and woke Dale and told him where we were going and as soon as I got up and went and grabbed my arrows out of the walker thingys heads when Daryl huffed and I'm sure that's his way of telling me to come on. We walked through the woods him bagging squirrels and me some birds whenever he turned around to me fast and said, "Why are you so quiet, woman?" I just laughed and said, "Well I ain't like no other woman. I know how to hunt. Now, shh you're scaring the birds redneck." I said. He just scoffed and said, "Well, we got enough for today. Let's make our way back to camp." He said and hurried past me muttering "Strange woman," under his breath. I watched his figure walk away before I noticed what I was doing. _What the hell you think your doing Emily? He ain't ever gonna want you. _I told myself. I shook my head and continued on.

When we made it back to camp we immediately went to work making sure the walkers were dead. Daryl went through each one putting a pick axe through their head while I watched by the RV with a grimice on my face. This wasn't pretty. But hell,the world wasn't pretty before the apocalypse. It was just the same, except you know there wasn't dead people walking around. I'd went through hell to get my job and my house. Granted it wasn't nothing luxurious. My car was the only thing I treasured. Lacey's brother wanted to trade me my little sport Nissan for a Chevy Camaro. I loved that car and now what good would it do?

"Jim's bit!" Jaqui screamed. I quickly scanned for Jim seeing him try to fight off Daryl trying to raise his shirt. Oh hell, what was gonna happen now? He was gonna turn no doubt about it, but when were we gonna let him pass? It'd be better to kill him now, so he doesn't have to feel the pain, I thought. I was distracted from my thoughts whenever I saw Daryl run up to Jim ready to take him out.

"We don't kill the living." Rick said in what I think his cop voice would be like. "That's funny considerin' you just put a gun to my head. What happened to zero tolerance for walkers?" Daryl spit out.

Dale voiced up and agreed with Daryl. "I think so too as well, "I said as quietly as I could. Daryl cast a side glance at me and bit the inside of his jaw. Something he's done all day. Nervous or mad tick maybe? I tuned back into the conversation to hear Shane and Rick talk about the next place we should go considering this one wasn't safe. I looked over to Andrea who had pulled out her gun, waiting. Not a few moments later, the gun went off and Andrea wiped her tears and got up off the ground for the first time in hours. Rick gathered the whole group before asking us which would be our choice: the CDC or Fort Benning.

I was indifferent to the two. As long as I got to be in this group, I'd go and do whatever they asked. The group eventually decided on the CDC, and I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea anyways. We all washed off and went to the funerals of the lost ones we loved. I hung near the back towards Daryl. I don't deal well with my emotions, let alone some one else's. We made our way back to down the quarry and started packing up whenever I noticed I didn't have a ride.

"Hey redneck!" I yelled as I sauntered my way to the truck. I could get my way with my hips. Lord didn't help me up top much, but he gifted me on the rear side. "I was wondering if I could ride with ya?" I asked batting my eyelashes.

"Woman, stop that shit. Hop your ass in the truck, but don't start talkin' my damn ear off. Else I'll throw ya out the damn truck." He said.

I laughed and said alright as Rick called us all in. Emily's riding with Daryl so that'll take care of her. Honk once if you need to stop for something. " Everyone nodded their heads. "Alright, let's roll out," he said.

I hopped into the truck and watched Daryl as he pulled out.

"What the hell you staring at woman?" He said snidely.

"Wonderin if ya got any music, ain't gotten any sleep since yesterday. Mind if I go to sleep? "I asked.

"As long as you don't wake me up snorin', your fine by me." He said.

I just laughed as he put in a country mash up I chose.

* * *

A/N: Thank you lovelies for reviewing! But also please go check out WalkerBait16's story! :)


	5. Chapter 5

"_EMILY!" My father screamed as I hid under my bathroom sink. I hated my father when he was like this. All stoned out and drunk off of any type of liquor imaginable. He'd found my other hiding places, so this one was new. I held my breath as I heard him walk into the bathroom. My mind went all sort of directions while trying to think of how to get out of here. I wasn't getting beaten tonight, there was no way in hell. I felt the cabinet doors open and up and I'm getting pulled out by my hair._

"_No, dad, please don't!" I screamed with tears running down my face. He didn't care what he was doing to me. He slammed me hard on the wall while running his hands over me. I choked back a sob, and tried to fight him off. I remind him too much of mom, he says. I look just like her. I've seen the pictures that he hasn't burned or ripped to pieces. _

"_I wanna see how much you can squirm little girl!" He screamed at me. He counteracted any measures I had taken to hit him. "You're pathetic! Just like ya good for nothing mamma!" He shouted as he reached behind him to find a broken beer bottle. The glint I saw in his eyes was like none other I'd seen before._

_He slid the edge of the broken beer bottle down my side as blood flowed from the ragged cuts. I let out a blood curling scream, although no one but him would hear it. He looked down at me with a villainous look in his eyes. He was just about to undo his pants whenever the front door burst open and in came one of my best friends came in with her niece Paige. She immediately sent Paige to the phone to call an ambulance while I lay on the floor making futile attempts to get my asshole of a father off of me. _

_The next morning I woke up to twenty stitches on my side with a minor concussion._

I woke up with sweat running across my forehead and my body all hot. I'd thought of Paige. I haven't thought of her in months. I hoped to god she made it out alive. I'd hate to see her as a walker thingy. She was the edgiest fucking girl I'd ever met. I'd always told her the truth, what the world was like and at the same time knock back a keg of whiskey. I loved that girl. She'd just gotten out of school too. I wonder if she made it.

"Ya alright over there? You shaking." Daryl said. I nodded my head and listened to the music he had playing. Luke Bryan was a personal favorite. That ass in them jeans! I smirked and said, "Well I ain't seen no beer and it's the damn apocalypse, I ain't wasting no bullets." He just looked at me like he'd seen something.

"You know this song?" He asked. "Well you see, I'm from this state called Tennessee. Kinda known for country music ya know" I said. He looked at me with a grimace. "Grew up on a farm. What else is there to listen to? I ain't listening to rap I'll tell you that much. He just gave me a look and turned back to the road when suddenly the RV honked.

"What the hell is it now!" He shrieked as he got out of the truck and beckoned me to follow him. I got out of the truck and walked over to the RV where the hose had blew out. It's made mostly out of duck tape, no wonder. Dale spouted off something about needing the piece from the cube van, me having no clue what he was talking bout. Curly and T-Dog took his jeep up the road to find some part.

Jaqui rushed out of the RV and said, "Y'all it's Jim. I don't think he can take anymore." And just as quick she left. Officer Friendly walked into the RV and I just stared around. I didn't like being in the open. Way to dangerous. I'd been on my own for a while but that was woods, this is open road. I walked back to Daryl's truck and grabbed my bow and quivers. Never know when you're gonna need em.

I walked towards the back of the RV and sat down on the hot pavement. I looked around at the scenery. It looked like Tennessee with all the trees and birds chirping. I closed my eyes and smelled.

For a second I was in my pasture on my favorite horse. Elly. She was beautiful. She could make my days better in seconds. I loved getting her all saddled up and taking her through the pasture. I'd bring my gun and hunt while I was out there too. That's what I loved about her. She wasn't gun shy.

"You gonna sit there like a fool in the road or are ya gonna come help me real quick?" Redneck said. Dammit, he took me off my thoughts and offered me a hand to help get myself up. I took it and dusted my pants off and looked at him.

"Whatcha need redneck?" I smirked. "Help me clean mine and I'll help clean yours," he said referring to his bow and mine. He walked off before I could answer so I followed him to his truck. "What you hunt with that measly thing?" He said.

"My measly thing can bag just about anything. I had that deer ya know? " He just looked at me and scoffed. "Yeah sure, but seriously what can you hunt? Ya know how to track or anythin'? Might come in handy one day." He continued. "I know how to track, can hunt just bout anythin'. Although I ain't been coon huntin' before. Wanna teach me someday?" I said coyly.

Holy hell, I just flirted with Redneck. Granted the last man I dated was terrible and I hadn't loved anyone since high school. Wow, that's a lot more cliché sounding than it does out loud. He cleared his throat and muttered a sure before we both saw Officer Friendly coming out of the RV. He had a look of sadness on his face.

"Jim wants to be left here. He's in sound mind and it's his choice," he said. T-Dog and Officer Friendly led Jim over to a tree and gently sat him down. Everyone said their dues when it was finally my turn. I walked up to him and gave him a nice one-over. "Be honest," he said, "How do I look?" I lightly laughed and said, "Well if you want it sugar coated, you look like a nice lily. If ya want the truth, ya look like shit Jim." He laughed once more and said goodbye. I walked back to the truck and asked if I could drive. "Ya wreck my truck and I wreck you woman. " He said and climbed in the passengers seat.

We took off and I drove a ways before we reached the CDC. There she stands in all her glory. We got out of the truck and I threw him his keys back. "Here ya go. Nice truck, drives like a beaut." I said. He gave me a glance and we strapped on our weapons to make our way to the front door. The smell hit me the closer we got. "Walker!" Daryl screamed out, and almost everyone took their defensive positions. Officer Friendly screamed and screamed until at once, the door opened

A bright white light overtook us, as I grabbed Daryl's arm and pulled him inside as we all caught our breaths. What the hell is this?


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl wriggled out of my grasp and put his crossbow up in the air. I matched my stance with his. Suddenly a man of at least his mid thirties early forties popped out around the corner. Walker thingys scared me, but this man, he put off his own weird and creepy essence, but I'd seen that face before. We lowered our weapons whenever we saw that he still had the safety on what his military assault rifle. Someone else must have brought that in.. Rick and the man talked for a while bargaining our way into the CDC.

"What do you want?" he asked repeatedly. "A chance, that's all we want." Rick said bargaining. "A blood test, that's the price of admission." he replied back.

He led us all to an elevator where all of us had to cram into. I stayed back to let all the others get in first. "Hey, woman." I heard redneck softly murmur. "You alright?" I nodded his way and made it into the elevator. "You" I mutterd, loud enough for only him to hear. "I guess. Jus' wonderin' bout you." _Redneck was actually worrying? There's still no way in hell he actually cares for me. No way._

"I'm breaking several protocols by letting you in here," he responded to Andrea whenever she was against getting her blood drawn. He continued, but as soon as she stood to get up she grabbed her head and Jaqui made her way to help her sit down. "We haven't ate good for days," she said. I sat down in the chair when Dr. Jenner asked me my name. "Its Emily. Emily Ross." He gave me a weird expression and said, "I know you. You were a surgeon at the General Hospital in Tennessee in Nashville. I was there around two years ago?" He continued while inserting the needle into my vein, "You did emergency surgery on my wife. Her name was Elizabeth. She was from Nashville." Now, I knew where I'd seen him from. His wife had worked here, ran this place. Lovely woman with a bad case of appendicitis.

"Yeah, I did. Your wife pulled through like a trooper. Ain't never seen a woman so eager to get back to work in all my life." I chuckled while he finished taking my blood. Daryl kept his gaze on me the whole time as mine was on him. He had a look in his eyes that showed something. Caring maybe? After Dr. Jenner, who had formally introduced us after he took my blood got finished, he all motioned us to follow him. He led us into a dining room with a kitchen attached. He pulled out some food and some wine. "Here ya go," he said. I stared at the bottle.

"_Emily, honey. What have you been drinking?!" my mother rashly said to me. I barely remember her. I was only four years old. I had one hell of a memory though. "I said I was thirsty so Daddy fixed me something to to drink. It tastes bad. Can you get me a yoo-hoo Mommy?" I told her. My mom shook her head grabbed my cup and smelled it. "Dumbass man giving my daughter straight wine. I'm gonna kill him when he gets back from the bar." I heard her mutter under her breath. "Em, darling. Next time you're thirsty come get me okay?" "But mommy, what if you're asleep?" I said. My mom worked at a hospital. Same job as I now have. Well, had. "Well honey, if that's the case there's some drinks in the garage okay?" Thank god I didn't drink all of what my dad gave me. I'd be a four year old with a hangover. But that night, Mom never lived to see another day. _

"Emily, you okay sweetheart?" Dale asked me shaking me from my thoughts. I smiled back at the old man and said, "Yes, Dale. I was just uh, recalling some old memories. Peachy keen." I walked my way over to redneck and rested against the counter top. He had some nice Jack in his hands and every few minutes he'd take a nice long swig. "Ya okay? Ya didn't look so good holdin' that bottle in ya hand." He said. _What the hell was he doing? He was acting like he cared. I'd never been cared for in my life except by one person really, and that was Lacey. Well she was the only alive person that cared. I know my mom did, although she didn't make it. I'm glad she didn't make it to this world. _

"There ya go again, back in ya own thoughts without tellin' anyone. Look I ain't too good at the emotions thing, but I'm hear to talk I guess." Redneck said looking a little embarrassed. "Sorry," I responded, "it's just the night my mom died, my dad tried to get me drunk." He didn't look too startled by that but quickly changed whenever I said I was only four when it happened.

"Wow. He sounds like a real asshole, just like my daddy. I'm sorry to hear ya momma died. I bet she was a real nice lady." He spoke with compassion. _Dammit, redneck. Now ya got me all flustered. _"She was," I responded. He gave me a nod and walked over to Glenn and poured some Jack in his glass.

I looked over in time to see Carl making faces at the wine he just tasted. "Ewww." he said aloud. "Might wanna stick to soda pop bud." Curly said and shot Lori a look. Something had to have been going on. Ever since Rick made it here, Curly's been giving him looks. It couldn't have been too much.

"Not you too Glenn!" I heard Daryl laugh. "I wanna see how red your face can get!" He said which erupted laughter from us all. Here we were, a broken but in tact family, with me the new girl. I still felt kind of on the outside. I didn't know too much about the others especially Curly. He just, I don't know, felt weird. Rick broke me from my thoughts. "I don't think we've properly thanked our guest. To Dr Jenner," he said as he raised his glass.

"Booyah!" Daryl said. However as soon as the toast was over, Curly had to go asking questions. He wouldn't let us have a break. Dr. Jenner explained all of what happened. People opting out, he called it. He talked of how all the people in this place ran outside to see that there was no hope, that nothing was ever going to change. They opted out. _Stupid ass people. They could have saved us. They could have saved us. Although even if we were saved, I still wanted these people. I trusted them._

"Dude. Your SUCH a buzz kill!" Glenn slurred. Dr. Jenner got up and told us to follow him. He led us through a hallway and told us to go easy on the hot water and not to use any excess energy. "Hot water?!" Glenn screeched. "You heard the man!" T-Dog said happily as they all ran off to find their rooms to sleep in. I chose the library. There was a nice little sectional that would be comfy enough for me. I grabbed my things to go to the showers and made my way inside. I stepped under the water and instantly felt bliss. I hadn't had this in ages. I cleaned and rubbed myself so hard my skin was turning red before I let out a sob. I had nothing but my backpack and some friends that could be dead tomorrow. I continued to sob harder, thinking bad thoughts whenever I heard footsteps outside my door. I stopped instantly and turned off the water for I was done anyways.

I wrapped my white towel around me and stepped to the door and opened it to find a tipsy redneck standing before me. I wrapped my towel tighter around me. "Yes, redneck?" I said softly. "I heard ya cryin'. Ya alright woman?" He said softly, slurring his words. _There was the caring again._

"Fine." I said with tears in my eyes. He wasn't gonna remember this conversation at all. I would. Drunk people let out their true emotions when the alcohol runs through their veins. I'd known that for twenty five years, whether it be family or 'friends'. _He might actually care. _

I brushed past him with my things while calling back, "Take my shower, redneck. Ya need one!" He chuckled and walked in the shower while he screamed back, "Shut up woman!"

I stopped right outside the library and was about to make my way in whenever I heard Olive Oil and Curly throwing back venomous words. _Shit was about to hit the fan. _

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_**A/N: Thanks to all the people that have suscribed and are following this story, it means a lot to me! If you have any ideas about where you think you'd like the story to go, PM me and I might just use them! **  
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	7. Chapter 7

"...listened to a heartbeat and I did not hear one! I had to keep y'all safe and get to Atlanta! That's what I had to do!" Curly shouted. I ran into the room right next to the library dropped my stuff and threw on some clothes really quick. I walked back out the door and heard more shouting.

"If I could have traded places with him, I would have because I-" Curly began stuttering before continuing with "Because I- I love you." Olive Oil told him to shut up before I heard a table being moved and Olive Oil telling Curly to get his hands off her.

I bust into the room, grabbed Curly and threw him to the ground. He grabbed my right leg and took me down as well. I hit the floor and gasped as my back hit the ground, searching for air. I got up off the floor and yelled at Curly to leave. He got off the floor, looked at Olive Oil, punched the floor and left. I looked at her, checked for any red marks but didn't and sent her on her way back to her room. Before she opened her door she gave me a very hard hug, and a thank you. I nodded my head and smiled. "Anytime ya need me, just call out. I'll be there." I said.

I watched her walk into her room before I turned around and made my way back to the library. I grabbed my things from the other room and went into my room. I flopped down on the sectional and closed my eyes. I'm in the CDC. Redneck Dixon's making passes at me. Not that I mind. I was just about asleep whenever I heard the door creak open. I snapped up and looked around. Redneck walked in with nothing but a pair of pants. Dear god, he was fit, but he had scars. Just like mine.

"What do you want Daryl?" I asked groggily. Man was messing up my sleeping schedule. Not like I had one anyways. "You called me Daryl." he said. Oh, I had. "But I'm hungry, I was uh, wondering if you'd help me get somethin' to eat Em." _He called me Em. I hadn't been called that in twenty five years. Even Lacey or my boyfriends didn't call me Em. I hated it most times, but with him, it felt right. _My cheeks flustered and I nodded my head and said, "Sure thing Daryl, just go get ya a shirt and meet me in the kitchen. He scantered off as I made my way to the kitchen.

I grabbed a pan and started making a grilled cheese. I was just about done when he walked in the room, thankfully shirtless. If he would have came in without a shirt, I would've been focused on other things like you know the man shirtless in the room, other than the food. He sat at the table and I could feel his eyes on me. It wasn't the creepy kind like Curly put off. I finished his food, put it on his plate, and turned the stove off. I moved over a bit and swiveled on my foot only to come face to face with those same icy blue orbs just like our first meeting.

"Yes?" I breathed. "Yer somethin' special ya know that right?" He said. "Here ya are all the way from Tennessee, and I ain't ever been out of this state. But I'm glad yer here." He continued getting closer and closer till I could practically smell the Jack on his breath. "Ya makin' me feel all these things I ain't ever felt before." He closed his eyes and started to back away. I took this moment to grab his arm.

"Look, Daryl you're drunk, go to bed. I'll talk to ya in the morning when you're sober, okay?" I said, although I didn't want him to leave. I liked his company. I grabbed his plate and took him back to his room but before he shut his door he said, "Hey Em." I turned around only to be met with his lips. It started out as gentle as it was until the Jack kicked in and he grabbed my hair and deepened the kiss. I was almost out of breath when he pulled away. "Goodnight," he said and closed the door.

I stood in the hallway before making my way back to my bed for the night. As soon as I got to bed, I touched my lips and kept on replaying the kiss in my mind. I shook my head and closed my eyes drifting off to sleep.

I woke up to the smell of eggs and bolted upright. I haven't had sleep that good in years, actually. I got called into work many a night where I'd only had four/five hours of sleep. I made my way off the couch and into the kitchen only to remember what happened last night. _I made out with Dixon, and it was good! _

"G'morning Emily." everyone said as I walked into the kitchen. I smiled and said good morning back, taking into consideration the headaches that mostly everyone was sporting. Poor Glenn was so hungover he didn't even want to eat. I walked over to the coffee pot and poured myself a cup and leaned up against the counter, just like I did last night. I looked up to see Daryl making his way into the kitchen rubbing his hands. Betcha he had a killer headache. I drank half of my coffee whenever Dr. Jenner came into the room.

"I can't thank you enough for letting us stay here, and I don't mean to bombard you with questions first thing in the morning-" Dale started. "But you will anyways" Dr Jenner said finishing his sentence. "As soon as you all are done, follow me into here, and I'll tell you all I know." He said as he grabbed my cup of coffee off the counter and walked into another room. "What's wrong with your neck, Shane?" Rick said. Curly threw me a nasty glare which I shrugged off and then said, "Must've done it in my sleep." Rick didn't look convinced but just dropped the subject.

I was still upset about my cofee. He stole my coffee. I must've pouted or something cause next thing I know Dale's pointing at me and laughing. "Hey now, he took my coffee. That's a no no in my world." I said and laughed. Everyone quickly ate their food and made their way into the adjoining room. I looked up and saw nothing but computer screens and a bunch of technology that I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Give me a playback of TS-19, Vi." Dr. Jenner said. "Very few people got a chance to see this," he continued. We all came into a stop each scattering throughout the room. One particular redneck on the other side across from me. _Daryl. I wonder how he is. Does he remember anything from last night? Maybe he doesn't, but if he does he should given me something by now. Shouldn't he? _We all looked up at the screen to see a brain with blue lights flashing all throughout it. He continued to tell us of how TS-19 got bitten and offered to be recorded of their life passing.

"What's those lights?" Shane asked. He always asks questions that he doesn't need to. "It's a person's life," Dr Jenner started. I cut in, "Experiences, memories, everything about you. In all those things, are you. It's what makes you unique. Basically, everything you said or have done, is caused by those synapses in your head." I finished. Everyone looked at me when I was done speaking. "I said I was a surgeon, dabbled in neuroscience a bit in college. Thank god I had."

"TS-19 was a vigil. She was bitten and infected and volunteered to record the process. Scan to first event, Vi." he said. We all returned back to the screen and saw the blue synapses turn to this deep red color. Glenn was the first to speak up, "What is that?" "It invades the brain like meningitis." He started off. "The adrenal glands hemorrhage, then brain breaks down, and then your organs go into failure. Shutting the body down." He said. "Then death." I spoke softly. Andrea started to cry. "She lost someone two days ago.. Her sister." Lori said. He went over there to comfort her but then came back to talking to the group.

"Scan to the second event." We waited a moment before he continued. "The resurrection times varies on the person. Some as little as three minutes, others eight hours." he finished. We watched as the red overtook most of the brain. I knew what it meant, others didn't, from the looks on their faces. "It restarts the brain?" Lori asked incredulously.

"No, Lori, it's just the brain stem." I said. "It gets them up and moving, but they're really not alive. The frontal part, the neocortex, that doesn't come back, that's the you part. Basically just a shell, with an animalistic instinct." I trailed off. Everyone gave me looks. Looks that I wish I hadn't seen. We looked back up at the screen in time to see a blast and the head split in half. "God, what was that?" Carol asked. "He shot his patient in the head. Didn't you?" Andrea said. _So glad I didn't have to say that. Thank God she beat me to it. _The doctor didn't answer but just said, "Vi, power down the main stations."

He listed off what it could be before Andrea asked who was left. "I've been in the dark for almost a month. There's nothing left anywhere." He said. Daryl looked at me rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and said, "Man, I'ma get shit faced drunk. Again." Some of us sat down while the others stood up, absorbing all the information he just told us. I figured this is what would happen. "Dr. I hate to be taxing and ask you one more question but, what happens when that clock runs down? What happens at zero?" Dale asked. "The uh," he took a pause. "The basement generators run out of fuel. And then." He walked off without telling us another word.

"Vi, what happens when the power runs out?" I said. "Please tell me it's not facility wide decontamination." Vi then told me my worst nightmare. "...facility wide decontamination." I looked at Daryl and shook my head. Everyone ran out of the rooms while I sat back down in my chair. All of a sudden the lights cut off and Vi said, "Emergency lighting, engaged." I stood up and felt the air conditioning go off. This is bad, very bad. I ran to meet Daryl coming in through the door.

"Zone five is shutting itself down." Dr. Jenner said from behind us. "What the hell ya mean? A buildin' can't shut itself down!" Daryl screamed at him while stepping closer to me. "The building is used to prioritize the computers. Every nonessential element will shut itself down. The French were the last to go down." he said. "Well what happened?" Jaqui asked politely. _Fuck being polite in a time like this. I was about to explode, and no one needs to see this. I hardly ever explode, but when I do, it's bad. _"Same thing that's happening here," he said, "No power grid. Run out of juice. The world runs on fossil fuel, how stupid is that?" He said. "Everyone grab your stuff we're getting out of here. NOW!" Rick screamed. I took off towards the door whenever all of a sudden the door came up blocking us out.

"HE LOCKED US IN HERE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. _I was stark raving mad, and everyone was going to feel my wrath. _

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_**A/N: I want to thank for the reviews again, so here's another chapter! :)**  
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	8. Chapter 8

I ran down the ramp as fast as I could. "Outta my way!" I screamed. I was almost to the doctor whenever Curly's face met mine. "You best be getting out my way before I have to take ya down like I did last night." I said snarling my nose._ This ain't the time to mess with me. _ He must've been scared cause he backed off and let me through. Daryl and I must have had the same idea because we both reached him at the same time almost knocking him off of his chair. Next thing I know, both of us are getting thrown back into a bunch of arms that aren't letting us go. I twist and turn and kick trying my hardest to get out of the pair of arms I look down to recognize as Curly's.

"Let me go dammit!" I screamed. I looked over to see Daryl trying his hardest to get out as well. His eyes connected with mine and we both seemed to calm a bit. "Jenner, open those doors now." I said through gritted teeth. "Emily, you should know. The doors are topside locked down. They won't open." He said in the calmest voice ever. _It's like he's been waiting for this for days. Sick asshole. _"Well open the damn things." I heard Dale pipe up behind me. Even Dale was getting angry.

I wrenched free of Curly's arm and stood still for a moment. "That's not something I control. It's all the computer's doings. It's better this way." He said. I looked around and saw my family all huddled together with their loved ones. Carol holding on to baby Sophia, Lori and Carl. They didn't deserve to die like this. They should have a choice.

"What is? What happens in twenty eight minutes?" Rick asked angry as ever. _Facility wide decontamination. _"You know what this place is!," Jenner started off screaming. "We protected the public from VERY NASTY STUFF!" He said as he got closer to Shane. "WEAPONIZED SMALL POX! EBOLA STRAINS THAT COULD WIPE OUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE COUNTRY!" He said as he came to me spitting in my face. I gritted my teeth and prayed to God I wouldn't kill him. Daryl and I walked around Jenner as he sat down in his chair and fixed his jacket.

I was just about to pounce on him whenever he spoke again, "In the event of a catastrophic failure a terrorist attack for example- HIT's are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out." He said. _Oh my god. I've only dealt with HIT's once in my life. This couldn't be happening. There was no way in hell. "_What are HIT's?" Rick asked Jenner, expecting him to give an answer. He didn't. I knew what they were, but they didn't.

"Vi, define." I said as softly as I could while looking at Daryl. I saw fear in his eyes. I never saw fear in those eyes. It scared me. "...consist of a two stage explosion that produces a blast wave of significantly power and duration of any other known explosive except nuclear.." I stopped listening but the others were still tuned in. I shook my head as tears came to my eyes. This wasn't fair. After everything I've been through in my life, I wasn't going to die like this. I wasn't.

"It sets the air on fire. The end of pain, suffering, grief, regret." Jenner whispered as I ran over and punched him in the face. I heard a satisfying crack as I felt strong muscular arms pull me off. "Let me go!" I screamed as tears made their way down my face. I heard Daryl's soft voice come through my ear calming down almost instantly. "Em, calm down. We'll get out. I promise."

Daryl let me go of me and I fell on the floor almost instantly. I heard bottles smashing and him grunting. He was trying to get us out of there, no matter what. Next I heard axes hitting the door, so I stood up grabbed one and went to help. "Sorry, babe, but you ain't strong enough to throw that thing against there." Curly. said. _Way to piss me off even more. _I put him in a chokehold and pushed him with my other hand. "I'm a lot stronger than ya think pretty boy. Now let me have a go at it." I snarled. He walked away as Daryl and I tried and tried but we couldn't make a dent.

"Those doors are to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner said. _Such an asshole. _I was about to hit him again once more before Daryl ran forward with an ax in his hands and screamed, "Yeah, well yer head ain't!" It took all the men plus me to back off and when he did, I gave him a look that screamed he wasn't worth it.

I sat down on the floor and just stared at Daryl. Here we have twenty minutes before we die, and I'm thinking about the man I like. Lacey would've laughed at me but would've told me to get some. Daryl held my gaze for the longest time. Even though we never said anything, there was a million thoughts that ran through our heads. Daryl suddenly breaks the gaze whenever Curly starts blowing the computers to pieces.

I didn't get up but just blocked my head and scooted away from everybody to where nobody but Daryl could see me. I closed my eyes as tears started falling out of them. I never let anyone see my tears. Suddenly he dropped his keys, and when he went to retrieve them, he quickly pecked me on the lips. "I remembered last night. I like ya," he said with a major blush on his face. I quickly pecked him back and blushed as well.

"...Not because I wanted to. I made a promise to her," he paused, "my wife." So TS-19 was his wife. I loved her. I had only known her for three days before she was back to work, here. She was one hell of a woman. It's saddening to hear of her like that. Rick and Jenner fought for the longest time before he finally convinced him to let us out. "I'm greatful." I heard Rick say. "The day will come when you won't be" Jenner said. I looked back to see Andrea and Jaqui sitting. If that was the way they wanted to go, it was their choice.

I grabbed my bags and started making my way through when I felt a calloused hand grab mine. We made it to the doors but they wouldn't unlock. Daryl took his hand from mine and tried to break the windows with the ax but it wasn't working. Not until Carol pulled out a grenade Rick found. He was just about to set it off when I took it from him. "I've done this before, just let me do it." He gave me a quizzical look that I knew I would need to explain later. I undid the clip and rushed down to the ground before it exploded. I heard the loud crash and pulled myself up seconds later. I rushed out the window grabbing Carl and Sophia and helping them out and down. We all started running killing walkers that got too close.

I ran to Daryl's truck without even thinking and positioned myself in the floorboard. I felt his body over top of mine as he positioned himself so where our heads were covered. We felt a large rumbling and a huge blast of heat as the CDC blew up. _Goodbye Jaqui and Andrea. I'll miss you. _

I felt Daryl lift himself up to look at the damage. I didn't even want to see what had just happened. Daryl helped me up and sat me in the seat. I closed my eyes as he started the truck but I opened them as soon as I heard Andrea's voice. Was I insane? I looked up and saw her walking with Dale. She must've wanted to live, or Dale must have drug her out. Everyone had a moment to themselves as they got into their separate cars and took off with Daryl and I as the end of the cars. We locked the doors and was getting the hell out of Atlanta.

I looked to Daryl as he took my hand in his. I positioned myself where my head was resting on his thigh. I closed my eyes and took in his scent. I slowly drifted off to sleep as we made our way out of Atlanta.

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**_A/N: I want to say thank you to all the people that's reviewed! It means oh so much! Here's a new chappie for ya! :)_**


	9. Chapter 9

"_Em, how do ya know when a boy like, likes likes ya?" Paige asked me one day as I was siting with her. "Well, darlin', there's many ways to know a boy likes ya. But who is it?" I smiled and asked her. I always trusted her to tell me. I gave her advice anytime she asked me for it. She told me who he was and I wasn't surprised. Young feller had a good head on his shoulders. He'd be nice for her. "He hold ya hand yet? Let ya sleep on his leg?" I asked. "He's held my hand, but that's bout it." She said while blushing. I got up and walked over to the coffee pot and poured both of us a cup until I heard growls. I looked over my shoulder just as Paige the walker bit into my shoulder. _

I gasped and opened my eyes. Another bad dream. I heard Daryl clear his voice as I moved off his leg and sat straight up. "Bad dream again?" he asked. I nodded and wiped the cold sweat of my face and was about to talk whenever I heard the RV honk. Daryl and I looked at each other before getting out of the truck. "How are we on gas," Rick asked. "Bout out." Daryl replied his accent thick.

"How about you dump the truck and just take the bike?" Rick asked. Although I could tell he didn't want to, he eventually gave up and walked over to the truck. I walked over to the bike and grabbed one side as we lifted it down. We had set it on the ground while the others had went around siphoning gas from some of the empty cars. "Ya ever road on a bike fore Barbie?" Daryl asked me quietly with a smirk.

"Why yes, redneck I have. Used to fix up my dad's all the time." I smirked back. "Seriously, don't call me Barbie, Daryl. Makes me think of beach blond, big titted girls that don't know tha difference 'tween bat shit and coffee grains." I just laughed as he let out a small chuckle, recalling the memory. "Ya mean to tell me ya know how to laugh?" I shook my head while sticking my tongue at him as I walked back to the RV to stick both of our tents in it.

"If I didn't know any better sweetheart, you and Daryl have come quite close." Dale said with this huge goofy grin on his face. I felt some heat rise to my cheeks and said, "We're close. Ya gotta break through some walls but when ya do, he's just the same Daryl." I thanked Dale for keeping our things in the RV and started to walk back to the bike. "Is everyone ready?" Rick asked. We all nodded as we made our way to the respective vehicles. Daryl started his back and looked at me ready for me to get on. I threw my leg over and sat down on the seat. _It's comfier than expected._ Daryl picked up my legs and put them on the pegs that I couldn't find by feeling with my feet, and I couldn't help but fluster at the gesture. _It seems like he really does care. Even if he says he ain't good at the emotion stuff, he's done good so far._

I wrapped my arms lighly around Daryl's form. Damn, he must've worked out once in his life. I smirked to myself and let out a chuckle. "Ya alright back there? We're bout to head out." He asked. I nodded my head as he let the engine roar to life underneath us as we picked up speed. I let go slowly as I pulled by hair down from my ponytail. I loved to feel the wind fly through my hair. He slowed down as we came unto a big traffic snarl on the road ahead of us. I heard a loud pop behind the bike. _The RV probably busted the hose again. Well, here's a bunch of cars. Better here than anywhere else. _

"You see a way through Daryl?" Dale hollered to us through the RV window. "Yeah, but we'd have to move these cars. Let's just park it an look 'round for supplies." He answered back. I hopped off the bike and grabbed by knife's from his saddlebag and put them on. I handed Daryl his crossbow that had been on my back the whole time. He took it from my hand as I picked up my bow and started to walk towards Rick. I didn't see Jaqui. I suddenly saddened thinking of her. Dale noticed and mouthed if I was okay. I gave him a thumbs up and made my way to stand between Lori and Curly. He wasn't gonna do shit to her again. I'd make sure of it.

"I've said it a thousand times.." Dale muttered to himself. "Ya got a problem there Dale?" Curly asked from beside me, anger laced in his words. "Need to find a good radiator hose." he answered back without even acknowledging the venom in his words."Well if you can't find one here, you got a problem." Curly said looking round.

"It's a graveyard." Lori and I said simultaneously. "But beggars cannot be choosers." I finished. Rick gave us a bunch of things to do and to get working so we could make our way through. I was peeking through cars without anyone inside it for the feeling in my gut was awful. I felt like complete shit, even though I'd gotten some sleep. I rummaged through cars and cars, until I found my heaven. It was some t-shirts that looked like they'd fit me nice. I continued going through it and found some new quivers which would be helpful. But I stopped whenever I saw something I wasn't expecting.

I picked up the picture slowly and analyzed it. This was me from two years ago. I flipped the picture over to see _Emily June Ross 07/02/10 _scribbled onto the back _What the hell? This picture was taken from afar. Right before I went into the hospital that day expecting to leave and go home, but I had to swing a double shift because of this weird virus that was going around and I had to amputate several arms and legs. It suddenly hit me. This has been happening slowly for the past two years. Why hasn't it been stopped? What the fuck was going on in this world?_

I tucked the picture into my pants and looked into the car some more whenever I seen a drivers license on the floorboard. I picked it up and looked at the picture. I gasped loudly and dropped it. The name on the drivers license was a name I'd never expected it to be. Virginia Ross. _My mother._

I picked it back up and tucked it into my backpack. A million thoughts were running through my head whenever I saw everyone go underneath the cars. I quickly glanced forwards to see at least four dozen or more walkers making their way towards us. I quickly but gently threw myself on the ground careful not to bleed. The walker thingys would be on me like white on rice. I shrunk myself as small as I could whenever I saw the first feet start to pass me. I gasped silently and covered my own mouth to make sure they couldn't hear me. I laid under the car for what seemed like ages and when it was all clear I came out. I was still cautious moving silently and making no noise until a heard a shrill shriek let out, only to see Sophia running down the embankment.

I took off after her as fast as I could. There was no way in hell would she die. I'd make sure of it.

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_**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews! Here's a nice chappy for ya! ;)**_


	10. Chapter 10

_Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. _I hopped over the guard rail whenever I heard Rick's footsteps fall behind mine. We dashed off into the woods. Children were always a weak spot of mine. We sped past countless bushes and trees, that I took in my mind quickly to not loose myself or get lost out here. We eventually saw two walkers trailing after Sophia. I reached down to pull my knife out of my sock whenever Rick silently told me to get Sophia and get her back to the highway. "No," I whispered. "My knives and me are quieter than you and a rock." I whispered. "Emily," he started.

"No, Rick. Just get her back, I can get out of here." I promised. "SOPHIA!" I loudly said attracting the two walkers on her back. I titled my head in the direction of Rick who had made his way up the ridge. She nodded in understanding and I counted off. I started backing up whenever the walker thingys were making their way to me. I saw Sophia take off as the one with the no hand lunged to get me. I grabbed my knife just in time as I dug it into the nasty looking brain that was half exposed. The other one was slower and by the time I got the other one on the forest floor, I walked backwards taking steps rapidly. I tripped over a root and found myself gasping for air as the walker thingy came closer. As it lunged down, I took my knife and dug it into the walkers left eye. _Bulls-eye._

I threw the body off of me and stood up. I looked around and remembered where I was. I started trekking my way back to the highway. I kept on hiking whenever I realized just how far we had chased them downhill. I sighed in relief whenever I said guard rails up ahead. I broke off in a sprint whenever I felt eyes on my back. I turned around, but I didn't see anything. _What the hell? _ I ran back up to the guard rails, threw myself over, and all but ran to the RV. I took the binoculars and scanned the land I just came from. _Nothing. Odd. I've never felt eyes piercing me as bad as those were. _I handed the binoculars back to Dale who just gave me a look. I looked down to see all of the group looking at me.

"Just seein' if there was anymore walkers in the trees. I was gonna go huntin'." I lied easily. The others shook their heads agreeing taking the lie easily. I looked over the faces until I saw Daryl's. He had a quizzical look on his face. Redneck knew I was lying. I gave him a look that said later. I walked down the RV's ladder and walked over to the bike I'd spent hours on.

"Wanna go huntin'?" Daryl said expecting to scare me with his light footsteps. "Sure, just give me a moment or two." I replied. I grabbed my pack and extra knife and tucked it in my other shoe. I closed my eyes and smelled the air. Smelt like death.

"Ya gonna stop smellin' and get on with what we were plannin'?" he asked impatiently. I opened my eyes to see the same blue orbs looking into mine. "Sorry." I replied and made my way around him to the guard rails. I hollered at Rick telling him we were gonna get some food and that we'd be back before dark. I looked over to Carol seeing her hold baby Sophia for dear said sure, and to be careful.

We had gotten not even a quarter into the woods before I went into hunter mode. I guess he took it as offensive cause he let out an angry sigh. "Look, redneck, I felt eyes on me whenever I was trekking back to camp. There's someone out here! Can't ya feel it?" I snarled. He should notice these things, he was a hunter. He knew the little things made the big picture.

"It does feel a bit creepy out here." He replied back. "So this is why ya ran back to camp all in a tiffy?" he asked. "Yeah, main reason. Other reason was to make sure Sophia's still alive." I answered. "Ya didn't come out here to get bunnies for supper. Yer people huntin'." he said in a matter of fact tone.

"If I am, what'cha gon do bout it redneck?" I asked with a huge ass smirk on my face. "Ain't gon do a damn thing woman." He just replied back. "Although, I suppose we should actually be huntin'. How else we gon survive out in that big traffic snarl?" I asked. He didn't have an answer as he took down a squirrel that'd been trying to go up a tree. "Look at ya bad self, redeck. Weildin' a crossbow in the woods durin' the apocalypse with a kinda pretty lady by your side. Think ya got it made?" I asked, with slight joking in my voice, so he'd know.

He blushed and walked ahead of me. _I probably just fucked up. He may care,but hell that can easily change. I mean, have you met me. I hardly had any friends as a kid. There were always wondering what the scars that showed meant. They didn't understand til they got older and hell because of that I swore they felt bad for me. All they had for me was pity. Except for Lacey. She would never ask, nor would she judge. I missed her. She was my best friend. Granted she was like five years younger than me, but we worked together. She may have just been a nurse, but she was like my assistant. It's how we first met. I was 27 at the time, she was 22. I miss that girl, and her brother._

"Yer in yer thoughts again," Daryl broke me from my thoughts. I'd been thinking again. "Just thinkin' bout my best friend. She didn't make it." I said a loud. "Sorry ta hear that." he replied with a solemn look on his face. "It's over, in the past. Let's just find some food and make like a tree an get the fuck outta here." I said. He gave me a look. "Surprised I know tha movie?" I asked with a smirk. "Yeah, don't look like you'd watch that kind." He said quietly. "Ain't I always provin' ya wrong?" I said with a smirk once again.

"Ya know, when yer worked up, yer accent comes out hicker than mine, woman." He said. "I know. It makes me sound like a fool." I just laughed and released two arrows as I hit two squirrels. He bent down to pick them up as I just watched. He had a nice body. He looked healthy considering what we were living in. Granted, I bet he steal's squirrels and eats them out here, before anyone can get one. I let out a small chuckle as he stood back up. "The hell ya laughin' at woman." he said with anger. "Just recallin' a memory, redneck it ain't bout you." I said.

We shot more squirrels and decided to make our way back to camp whenever I felt the eyes on me again. "Daryl," I whispered. He caught on and whispered back, "It's alright. I got ya, ain't nothin' gon happen." If I hadn't been scared shitless, I would've blushed at the comment. We picked up our pace and made it to the highway, when I turned back around and sat a man with some type of knife connected where his hand must've been. It was just for a second as I blinked and he was gone.

"Ya alright?" Daryl asked. "I think I need some water or I might pass out." I said. He left me on the side of the guardrails and fetched me something to drink. I swallowed only a little bit, knowing if I drank it to fast, I'd just throw it back up. I remember the first time that happened to me, it wasn't beautiful. I felt the eyes on me as I stood up to look as a single shot went through the air. I wound up on the ground before I knew it. I closed my eyes, and as I went to sit up I looked down only to see a hole going right under my collarbone. Carl was laying next to me, a mark similar to his.

"I slowed Carl's bullet down. He should make it." I whispered aloud for anyone to hear. Everyone came running over to us. Daryl, Carol, Sophia and T-Dog to me and the others to Carl. I saw Daryl's eyes pierce in to mine saying he was sorry. I shook my head and gave him a look that screamed it wasn't his fault. He applied pressure to the wound as a fat man walked out of the woods.

"Did I hit anyone? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." The man turned pale white as he saw me and Carl. My eyes were getting foggy no matter how hard Daryl tried to keep me awake. As I closed my eyes I said, "I'll be fine... wait til I wake up. Fat man's gon get it." The pain was too much as I was taken by sleep.

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_**A/N: Threw you guys for a twist! Review please! :)**_


	11. Chapter 11

The pain that was running throughout me was unbearable. I hadn't felt this much pain in a long time. I opened my eyes to see an old man with snow white hair standing above me holding a needle and stitching. I tried my hardest to get up whenever I felt another hand push me down. I looked over to see Rick pushing me down. "My name's Hershel and you're on my farm. Your name is Emily?" He asked me. "Yes," I started. "Emily. I'm a surgeon, just how bad is this?" I whispered for I couldn't talk without pain ripping throughout my body.

"Really?" he asked with general concern. "Yes, sir." I responded with my manners. "Now, Mr. Hershel, I feel like I'm on fire. Do you have any aspirin or morphine or something to take my mind off the pain?" I asked as nice as I could, although I knew there was edge in my tone. "Shane and my man Otis, made their way to old high school up the road to fetch some things, although you're gonna pass back out any minute now. And that's certainly not going to be good." He answered truthfully. I liked the old man. He looked like the nice farmer that everyone always stopped and talked to.

My eyes began fluttering whenever I heard him whisper to Rick that he was going to have to close me up even though I was still awake. "Mr. Hershel." I whisper. "Yes, child?" He asked. "Do what you have to do. I know that I'll pass out, but I can deal. Just if you can, give me a hand to hold." I asked. Rick had to put pressure on my shoulder, so he couldn't do it, but there was no one else in the room. "The others except Lori haven't made it back. You want her?" Rick told me. I nodded my head and closed my eyes for a minute. Whenever I opened them back up she was getting comfortable in the chair next to the bed on my side. I felt her warm hand slip into mine as I saw Hershel sterilizing the needle.

"How's Carl?" I croaked out. "He's fine. Somehow, he just had a scratch. He must've been turning whenever it hit. You saved my son's life and my own." She muttered the last part. "He's in the living room sleeping with one of Hershel's daughters. You're gonna like her. Her name's Maggie." She said. About that time I heard Hershel say he was ready. I closed my eyes as Lori put both her hands on mine and watched as he cleaned the area around the bullet hole. I saw the needle come my way as I repositioned myself and said ready. I thought of Daryl quickly and how he was gonna take this.

I felt the needle go in and the amount of pain was torturous. I yelped out in pain causing Lori to jump. I muttered sorry and before the second time the needle went in my eyelids fluttered and I on the brink of passing out whenever I heard Hershel holler and turn me on my side. I took in a breath as the world went black.

I woke up to a rough callused hand holding onto mine. I let out a cough as I felt the man next to me stir. He must be waking up. I opened my eyes to be met with those same piercing blue orbs once again. "Damn, redneck, it sure is nice ta see your face." I croaked out with a smile on my face. "Dammit woman, you scared the shit outta me. What the hell happened to ya?" _He was worried about me. He was genuinely caring about me. _

"I unfortunately got shot. Hurts like a bitch, but nothing I can't take." I muttered, laughing. "Hold on, I'm supposed to go get Hershel whenever you wake up. Gotta do some medical things on ya he said." he said suddenly. He stood to walk out the door but I grabbed his hand. "How are ya?" I asked, softly. "Woman, I ain't tha one that's layed up in bed cause I got shot." He said with a snicker and a smirk. "Daryl, seriously, how are you?" I asked seriously, hoping he'd take it.

"Ya scared me senseless woman, but somehow I knew ya'd make it." he said as he all but basically ran out of the room. Hershel walked in and closed the door. "Do you remember me sweetheart?" he asked me politely. "I do," I said. "I want to thank you so much for doing this." He looked down at me and made me follow the flashlight with my eyes. Simple trick that shows so much about the body. I followed my eyes as he asked questions. "You were a surgeon before all of this happened?" I nodded as he checked my wound to make sure it wasn't infected. "You look a little on the young side to be a surgeon." He said quietly.

"Well, sir. I'm 29 years old." I said not getting offended. I had a baby face, and oh man did I love it. "Well, I'm sorry I mistook you for someone younger, although in these days, I suppose that that is actually a good thing." He chuckled and told me to lay down and to not do strenous motions or anything that could cause it to open, although I already knew it.

I laid back down and drew the sheets back over me. Someone must have changed the sheets while I was asleep, cause these didn't have an ounce of blood on them. I closed my eyes and smelled the room. It smelt like blood and gunshot powder. _Figures. I remember the first time I ever dealt with a gunshot wound. It was only my second surgery. "Dr. Ross to the OR. Dr. Ross to the OR." I sighed as I started trotting to the OR just one floor below. Whenever I finally got to the floor a nurse who I didn't know told me to go to OR room 5. I sprinted my way to the room as I gloved and sterilized. I walked in the room to hear the nurse speaking to me. Gunshot wound, top of the shoulder. Nicked a main artery. Get it closed off in ten minutes and he'll live._

_I let out a breath and asked the nurse to hand me the knife to cut him open around the bullet hole. I got him open and fished around for the bullet fragments. I counted six. I pulled them all out, not getting anywhere near the main artery. I managed to get the bleeding to stop and stitched up the wound. I took of my gloves and wiped the sweat off of my face. I got slapped on the back as I finished my job. I walked out the room and went to deal with the walk-ins. That was a hell of a day. I freaked out so much afterwords, thinking I could have killed that man laying on the table in the other room._

"Back in yer memories girl." I heard Daryl say. I looked up and realized my eyes were watery. _Had I been crying? _I wiped my tears and went to sit up. He rushed over so fast, I thought he'd seen something. I looked around the room as he helped me sit up. I leaned my head back on the wall and muttered a sorry. He nodded and looked out the window in the room. "This place got any food?" I asked as my stomach rumbled with perfect timing. He chuckled and made his way downstairs and then walked in moments later with some kind of sandwich and a glass of water. I quickly scarfed down my food and put my plate on the nightstand beside me.

I looked over to see him staring at me. "Yes, redneck?" I asked smiling. "Ya know, I think I like it better when ya call me by name." he said embarrassed. I chuckled and blushed myself. "I ain't ever been good at this stuff, but when I saw ya go down, I thought ya died. Took a lot to not hurt Otis. Stupid asshole shot ya." he said all at once.

"Look, I ain't ever going nowhere. Nothing can kill me but me. Found that out whenever I was younger, that's how I got this right here." I said as I lifted up my shirt to show his the jagged scar. I saw his eyes gaze over with anger. "I have almost an exact one." he whispered. He lifted up his shirt to show me. I gasped as his was just a little bit more longer than mine. "We're both beaten it seems." he nodded his head as he agreed with my statement.

I reached over to peck him on the cheek whenever he turned at the last moment, causing me to kiss him on the lips. It was just a light little peck before he chuckled. "Woman, I swear. I ain't ever felt this shit 'fore. What the hell ya doin' to me?" he asked with his eyes closed. I leaned forward once again and kissed him. Things started to get hotter whenever Carol's voice interrupted us at the door. Thank god it was closed.

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's another chapter for ya!


	12. Chapter 12

Carol walked in and gave me a look. She sat down the plate on the bedside table and as I muttered a thanks, she left the room. _That was weird. _I looked at my plate and I realized I wasn't all that hungry. That wasn't a good sign. I forced myself to eat as Daryl continued looking at me. I ate as much as I could and handed my plate to him. "Finish that, please. I can't eat it all." I said quietly. He took the plate from me and began eating. He finished and got up to take it to the kitchen. I felt extremely woozy as he left the room so I laid my head in my knees.

Thankfully Hershel walked into the room without my favorite redneck following him. "I figured this would happen. Emily, do you know your blood type?" he asked full of concern. "O-." I said dizzy headed. "I thought if I gave you food, it'd help from the blood loss, but apparently not." he said to himself. "Anyone ya know is O- here? Rick, Carl, and Lori are all A+. Although, I could give you theirs." he said. "Doesn't matter, Hershel." I muttered. "I'll be right back to see who has O. As soon as I closed my eyes, the door swung open and in walked Curly. _Damn, he must be here cause he has O. Daryl would've probably not done it. I saw the look on his face whenever he saw all the blood. Knowing him, I bet he didn't want to deal with it._

"Your savior awaits." Curly sneered. I laid my arm out flat waiting for the tube to be inserted. "Guess, ya made it back alright. What bout that man who shot me?" I asked. A look crossed over his face that said he was hiding something. "He uhh, didn't make it. Told me to take the supplies and head back here for Carl and you." He said with his voice shaky. _"Carl and you." Wow, nice reassuring me who your main priorities are there Curly. Asshole. I still felt bad that because of me, a person died. From what I saw of him before, he must've been married. Now I feel even more awful. _ Hershel came and connected the two of us together, transfusing our blood together. I closed my eyes as for the first time I felt blood going in me, as in opposed. I'd given blood a countless numbers of times. Throughout high school, college and even now.

Hershel made sure we were both fine before he left the room. I'd sat in awkward silence before, but this was just too much. _My eyes are closed. Might as well pretend to be asleep. _I rolled over to the left where my right arm was still straight and pulled the cover up around me. "Girl, you been sleeping for the past three hours. Why are you still tired?" Curly asked me. "Technically, I wasn't sleeping. I was unconscious and passed out. There's a difference. Doing all those things kinda makes ya tired ya know?" I answered back. He just scoffed at my attitude.

"Problem, Curly?" I said. "Not a damn problem, Emily. I just thought you might have wanted to talk or something." he said. _I didn't want to talk that's why I rolled my ass over, idiot. Wow, for a cop he was quite unobservant. _I closed my eyes once again, and let out a sigh. I heard the door open and heard Hershel's footsteps. He walked pretty quiet, but nowhere near as quiet as me and redneck.

He unhooked Curly and I realized it must've been at least twenty minutes already. It never took me this long to sleep. I'd always been a light sleeper unless I was extremely tired. He took the tube out from my arm and asked me if I was okay. I nodded yes sleepily. He told me to use the bed as long as I liked and left the room and closed the door behind him. My eyes closed as I drifted off to sleep.

"_Emily June Ross Ya get yer ass in this room right now!" my father screamed, looking for me. Oh man, I was in deep shit. Hell, here I was 19 years old and still having to deal with his bullshit. I'd just gotten home from college. He must've found out about me switching my major. I wanted to be a surgeon, he wanted me to major in accounting. I hated accounting. I walked into the room to see my father surrounded by a least two six packs._ _"Yes, Dad?" I asked as quietly as I could. "Ya been hangin' round that Smith boy, ain't ya?" he slurred. Oh, not what I expected. _

"_No, daddy. He just helps me with my calculus homework, sometimes." I easily lied. I liked Jared. He was good at math and went to school for accounting because that's what he wanted to be. He was from around here, so I knew him rather well. He wasn't bad looking. He liked me as in girlfriend material, but he was just a friend that I cared for. "Bullshit!" he screamed, charging at me. I didn't fight back as I let him hit me. Years of fighting back doesn't do nothing. I rolled over to my side, before the doorbell rang. I cleaned up as fast as I could and ran to the door. I opened it up, only to see Daryl Dixon in walker form. I gasped and tried to close the door before he sunk his teeth into my neck._

I woke with a sharp gasp and felt my shoulder searing with pain. "Em, ya alright?" someone asked me. Only person that called me Em was Daryl. I opened my eyes and looked straight into the same blue orbs that I saw often. "My shoulder's killin' me. Can ya see if Hershel's got any aspirin?" I asked. "Sure thing woman, but hey. Did ya have a nightmare, fore ya woke up?" he asked concerned. "Uh, yeah, I did. Ain't nothing too special, can just blow it off." I said. He didn't look convinced, but just got up and went to go get my aspirin. He came back with two.

"Hershel said ya can get up and walk 'round if ya want to, but only if ya feel good." he said timidly. _Oh man, there goes that caring again. I think he legitly cares. _I threw my legs over the side of the bed, and put my arms on the side of the bed, fixing to pull myself up. I yelped in pain as I put pressure on my shoulders. He ran over to my side and helped me up, slowly out of bed. As soon as I got to the door and opened it for everyone to see that I was fine, he backed off. _Ouch. He isn't used to this, but still that hurts like hell. Granted I wasn't one for public affection, but it hurt. _

"Emily!" everyone yelled. "If I got an intro like that every time I walked into a room, I'd take a shot any day." I joked. Everyone laughed except for Curly who just gave a weird ass smirk. Something was going on with him, and I didn't like it one bit. "Why don't ya go outside and see what Hershel has let us set up?"Rick asked. I nodded my head as he gave me a silent thanks for saving his son.

I walked outside and looked at the beautiful scene in front of me. It looked just like my dad's farm had been, before all of it went to shit. Hershel lived on a farm with at least five acres. It was beautiful. He even had horses in a field. _Elly. I miss that little shit. Well okay, she technically wasn't little. She stood 18 hands tall. She was beautiful. _I looked around to see how everyone had set up camp. I still didn't even have a tent. I pouted without even thinking about it.

"Woman, I swear. It's beautiful out here, and yer pouting like a two year old." I knew who it was immediately. "It looks.. it looks just like my front yard did. Horses in one field. Cows in another. Plenty of room to run round in. This is a good place." I muttered. "Yer family owned a farm?" he asked with a weird look on his face. "Yeah, shockin' I know. Before my daddy turned into a full blown alcoholic, we had a nice little farm. It's how I made a living. Taught me a few things that I'm glad I know now." I said while looking out at the setting sun.

"Ya know, there was this girl who I knew in Tennessee when I lived there. Her name was Paige, and damn her stubbornness rivaled even yours. All those years I got abused and all that stuff, that girl kept me sane. She was just plain amazing. Hell, she wasn't bad lookin' on the eyes either. She was in my dream the day on the way to the CDC. I miss the little shit. I hope to god she ain't a walker thing." I shook my head and started down the porch. Daryl brushed his hand past mine,and when I looked at his eyes they told me he was going to go back in the house and talk with Rick or someone else._ How in the hell can I know what he means just by those eyes. I bet no one's ever looked into them with love and liking before. Well I am going to change that one day, hopefully. _ I walked over the campfire to meet with Carol and Lori. "Anything I can help ya with ladies?" I asked nicely. Carol just gave me the cold shoulder which Lori noticed and gave me a look. I shook my head and shrugged my good shoulder. "Uhm, yeah actually, can ya go get Carl from my tent and Sophia from Carol's so they can work on their school work?" Lori asked me sweetly. I nodded and smiled, and turned on my heel to walk to the tents. I came to Lori's first and knocked on the tent whenever Carl peeked his head out. "Hey, bud. Your momma wants ya to come out with Sophia and do yer school work." I said.

"You know, you have a really bad accent." Carl said. "Yeah, I know bud. Can't help it." I laughed. "Come on now, yer momma's waitin'." _Man, my accent was really getting bad. Must be the weather. _I chucked and walked to Carol's tent. I rapped on the door and didn't get an answer. I unzipped the front of my tent to not see Sophia in there.

I walked back to the campfire and said, "Carol, Sophia's not in the tent. She wasn't in the house either when I woke up." I saw a flash of panic on her face. Then she started screaming at me. "You were supposed to go to my tent and get her! Why didn't you?!" I recoiled back and looked at her odd. _What the hell? _She stood up from the tent in a tizzy and ran to the tent I opened. She let out a yelp whenever she didn't find her in there.

"What did you do with my daughter?" she sneered. _Has she gone off her rocker? _I looked at Lori who was just as confused as I was. "Carol, she's been in the house all this time. She didn't do anything to your daughter." Lori said. Carol scoffed and ran to the farmhouse and checked there. "She wasn't there." she said huffing. "I told you Carol." I said quietly.

I made my way back to the farmhouse and I knocked on the door before I entered. "You have manners. What is it you need darling?" Hershel asked me. "We have a problem. Carol's gone off her rocker thinking I've done something with Sophia. She's missing and we don't know where she is."

Daryl looked at me with a look that said we're fucked.

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's a chapter! :)


	13. Chapter 13

As I looked into Daryl's eyes, I told him I was scared. Carol wouldn't start anything. I protected that little girl with my life. If anything, she should be repaying me. "Hershel, can you give us some guns to go in the woods to find that little girl?" Rick asked politely. Had he taken all our guns? Oh well, if he felt safer that way it was fine with me. Knives weren't exactly a gun. I looked over at Daryl before he grabbed his crossbow. I wouldn't get to shoot my baby bow, but that was okay. Hopefully I wouldn't run into any walkers in the first place. I just had to get shot.

"Rick, it's going to be sundown soon. It's pointless looking around those woods at night. I've been in them myself. Real easy to get turned around in. I'll give you your weapons back, but not until tomorrow. More people can go then." he said, looking over to me. I nodded my head, knowing I was not fit to go trekking through those rough woods I'd seen whenever I was on the front porch. Everyone sighed, knowing the old man was right. I pulled up a chair and looked around the living room. It had a nice southern comfort feel to it. Pictures of Jesus and old relatives hung around the room on every wall.

I looked to Daryl while the men talked a strategy for in the morning. I got up and walked over to the counter where they had a map laid out. "Emily, are you going tomorrow?" Rick asked. "Yeah, I mean, I've saved her once, I'd do it again in a heartbeat." I answered truthfully. These people were like my family. I'd die protecting them._ Family. _I reached down into my pocket to still find the picture there. _Thank God I didn't loose it. I haven't even had time to think about her. Is she still alive? There's no way she'd leave me. Would she?_

I felt a hand braze by mine as I looked up Rick said, "So it's settled. Me and Shane'll go down here." he siad pointing to the map. "You two can take care of yourselves better than anyone else I know in the woods, so you two can go a ways together and break up. Search more and get more ground covered." he said pointing and then breaking off with two fingers showing where we would be going. "Fine by me." I mumbled. Daryl didn't look to happy, but just agreed. Hershel overheard and said that was probably the best thing to do. Curly and Rick said their goodbyes and made their way to their tents.

_I still didn't have a damn tent. Lovely. After all the shit we went through, all I want is a damn tent and I still can't fucking get one. My mom always talked about how to always have a tent spare with you. Mom, I missed her. But why the hell did I find her driver's license in the floorboard of that car. It wasn't he car from what I remembered. Although, it's been years. She might've gotten a new one. If that was still her. But if it wasn't her then why did she have her drivers license? I miss her. I miss her brushing my hair and putting it into ponytails cause I couldn't do it myself._

"Yer gonna burn a whole in the wall if ya keep on starin' at it Em." I heard Daryl say. I looked at him, but had to blink my eyes to get the tears out of them. "Damn wall, ain't going nowhere." he finished. I nodded before he came close to me. "Ya alright?" he asked. I nodded my head and said, "I still ain't got a tent. Can I bunk with ya? I'm a light sleeper. Seriously, no snoring or talking or rolling from me." He mulled it over for a few seconds before saying, "Ya wake me up, I'ma throw yer ass out with the fire. Ya got me?" he said smirking.

"Sure thing, redneck." I said smiling. I walked out the front door swaying my hips to make sure a certain redneck noticed. I walked up into the RV only to be greeted with anger and sadness. _Oh shit. I forgot about that. Seriously Em, how do you forget that little Sophia is lost and no one knows where she is. For a hunter, wow, so damn observant. Get a fucking award for your smart ass. _I looked to see Carol crying on the bed and Andrea meeting me with a sharp bitchy gaze. What the hell was going on here? Only one that likes me in here is Dale. "Dale," I asked quietly. "Do you happen to know where my bag is? After I got shot, I ain't too sure where it went." I muttered quietly.

"Ahh, I was wondering when you was gonna come looking for it." he said as he handed me my backpack. "Thank ya so much Dale." I whispered as I made my way out the door. I started walking towards Daryl's tent whenever I heard T-Dog wolf whistle. I looked back around to see him shaking his head. "Shut up T! You'll get ya some action sometime!" I said. "But seriously, ain't gotta tent, and no I ain't gonna use yours. It's too small for both of us in there!" I hollered as I walked straight to my favorite redneck's tent.

I rapped on the door before I heard a grunt followed by a hold on a minute. _Must be changing or cleaning up his tent so I can sleep. Probably the later, but who knows with him. Might even be putting his porn collection up. _I snickered and the door open. "What the hell ya laughin' at woman?" he said. I just laughed out loud and told him I was remembering a memory from once upon a time." He just scoffed and told me to come in. I ducked my head in and looked in wonder.

The tent was set up pretty nice, and very different from what I expected. Everything was organized in a nice, neat manner. _OCD? Or maybe cause we don't have valuables the ones we do have, we cherish. _"Where ya want my bag?" I asked. "Uh, over there in the corner," he said pointing to the right, next to his. I set my bag down and opened it up only to be met with the drivers license. I quickly stuffed it back in the bag and pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. "Uh, can I change? I really don't wanna kick ya out or make ya uncomfortable?" I muttered feeling my face heat up.

"I'll just turn round woman. No need to freak out." he said as he turned and faced the wall of the tent. I quickly threw off my shirt and picked up the other one whenever I felt a pair of eyes on me. "Ya staring, redneck?" He quickly coughed and said nope. "Ya know, I don't care if ya see my scars. They show all the shit I've put up with in my life. They made me strong, even though they ain't pretty one bit." I said as I pulled off my pants and underwear and slipped new ones on, just as fast. I pulled out a small mirror and looked at myself. I looked like pure hell. But hey, I'd just gotten shot earlier today. Perfectly good reason, right?

"It's the damn end of the world, and ya women are still lookin' in a damn mirror." he said grumpily. I turned my face to meet his. "It makes me think that I still should attempt to look decent. I know this is stupid, but I always like mirrors. My daddy just bout broke every single one in the house, before I hid them. He got so upset one day over me not putting clothes away he came into my room and broke every single one. Thank god I hid one in my purse." I said, remembering that night.

I looked up from my mirror into those same blue orbs I'd grown to love. "Sorry." he muttered.

"Don't be. Ya didn't know. It ain't a bad thing. Some little things that people took for granted before, just ain't the same here ya know?" I said. "I see the way you look at Lori and how she mothers Carl. I take it yer mother didn't make it either? I'm very sorry if she didn't make it." I said gloomily.

"No, she didn't. Lovely woman. Glad she didn't have to fight in this world." he muttered. "Now come on, woman, got to look fer Sophia in the mornin'. Come get some shut eye." he said. I pulled my sleeping back out of my bag, thankful that I did have one of those. I would be screwed if I didn't have at least that. I rolled it out and was just about to get in it, whenever Daryl's hand stopped mine.

"S'posed to get cold tonight. If ya, er, don't mind, if we put both of 'em together we'll keep warmer." he siad looking down, embarrassed. I chuckled and said, "Now, Daryl Dixon, if ya wanted to put 'em together, go right ahead, ya ain't gon see me stopping ya!" He pulled my bag out from under me causing me to hit my butt on the ground. Rather hard I might add. "Ow, that was my ass." I said.

"Got plenty of cushion." he said under his breath not intending for me to hear. I gasped silently and looked at him. He just looked up. "Now Daryl Dixon, you just said I had a fat ass." He looked up and turned red as a tomato. "Was not! I just said it had plenty of cushion. Fuck, can't say anything right." he said. "So you've been looking ain't ya?" I said with a huge smirk on my face.

"No," a pause, "okay, maybe, yes." He was having a hard time, before finally letting out a yes. I smiled and he finally got the bags together. He got in the bed as fast as he could and muttered a goodnight. I smiled to myself as I got in as slow as possible not to hurt my shoulder. Thank god he let me sleep on the left hand side. I got in the bed and got comfortable before I said, "Fer yourself, yer ass ain't bad either." I closed my eyes and repositioned getting ready to fall to sleep.

I felt him sit up almost immediately before grabbing my shirt and slowing lifting me up to meet his lips. This kiss was rough and hard before we both ran out of breath and broke away our foreheads resting on each other. "Dammit Emily, what the hell ya say that for?" he asked breathless, my name sounding like heaven on his tongue. "It's the truth. I raised myself to speak nothing but the truth. So I did. Problem?" I said. "Hell nah." he said as he laid down, his arm outstretched. I leaned back with my head resting in his elbow crease. He made a sudden movement and I found myself cuddling into Daryl Dixon.

"Seriously, woman. Going hunting for Sophia in the morning. Need ya well rested with yer shoulder and all that. Get some sleep. G'night Em." I blushed against his chest that was shirtless. _When did he take off his shirt!? He was covered in scars. Just like mine. _"I'll tell ya tomorrow what the scars are and how I got'em, but only if ya sleep." he said. "Deal. G'night Daryl. Sweet dreams." I said yawning. I leaned in and smelt pine and axe deodorant. Thank god he wore it. "Sweet dreams." he said as he pecked my forehead. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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A/n: Thanks so much for the reviews. Here's a chapter for you all! Did y'all see the episode last night?! It was CRAZY!


	14. Chapter 14

The sounds of chirping birds and the sound of breathing was the first thing I woke up to. I kept my eyes closed as I felt a hand that was draped over my back pull me closer. I smelt pine and deodorant knowing I was still safe in my redneck's arms. I opened my eyes to see Daryl still asleep. I let out a chuckle as he opened his eyes fast, scaring me causing me to yelp. He just grabbed me and pulled me closer. "Woman, didn't mean to scare ya, but it ain't polite ta stare at someone." he said with a smirk. I pulled out of his arms, and instantly regretted it. It had gotten colder.

I unzipped the tent to notice the sun was just now coming up. I zipped it back up and turned around only to see Daryl looking at me odd. "Woman, ya okay?" he said concerned. "Yeah, I was just hopin' that it wasn't daylight yet." I said. He was still laying down, so I came over and laid myself in the crook of his elbow. _It's like my head fits there perfectly. _"Ya not get 'nough sleep or somethin'?" he asked concerned. "Nah, I did. Just worried bout Sophia and Carol. Why would she think I took her? I saved Sophia's life, I wouldn't go and just take it like that." I said as I went deeper into my thoughts. Daryl just shook his head and pulled me closer. We laid in silence for a good time before I heard some others start to wake up. I heard Rick start a fire and Curly talk to him.

I decided it was time to finally get up and go find baby Sophia. I pulled up from his arm careful to not hit my shoulder. I reached into my bag that was next to his and pulled out a black lace tank-top and a pair of shorts and my cowgirl boots. Easiest way to walk around and be cool at the same time. I'd done this all the time whenever I lived in Tennessee. I looked down at my shirt and thought of when I got this shirt.

_I was only sixteen at the time. I'd been working on the farm for eleven years now and I was slowly making my money. Dad always had control of the money but some nights he'd be too drunk to do the bill, so I'd do it. Every other time, I'd take a couple of dollars and save it for myself. I ran to my room after heaving some hay onto Dad's truck and opened up my wallet. $120. I stuffed the money into my front pocket and walked into the living room only to see dad passed out on the couch. I walked right out of the door and grabbed the keys to the car. I loved my car. It was a 1970 Dodge Charger. No one touched my baby without me being there. I hopped in and started up the engine. I took off towards the mall and walked in. I was amazed at the number of stores, so I just picked one and walked in. I immediately saw the black lace top and grabbed it, flipping over the tag to read $19.99. I immediately fell in love with the shirt so I ran to the counter and paid for it and made my way home. I walked in the house to find my dad in the same place as he was before I left. I walked in my room and put it on. It fit me like a glove. _

"Ya think a lot, ya know that woman?" I heard a gruff voice whisper. I looked over as I quickly put my shirt on. "S'crazy how things like shirts and mirrors bring back memories from years ago. Hell, I'm 29 years old, and I remember when I bought this shirt when I was 16. I remember I was so happy to get a $20 shirt whenever my daddy owned a farm that raked in the dough. It was amazing." I said thinking back on the memory. "I showed that shirt off at school, not that I had any friends anyways. Wasn't the most popular." I said recalling all those days. "I kept ta myself, and everyone else did the same." I said.

"Same fer me." he said quietly, throwing on a shirt. I changed into my shorts as I heard him shuffle on his pants. We both sat down at the same time and put on our shoes. _Anything else we could do it time? _I shook my head to meet his eyes. "Daryl, can I tell ya somethin'? Somethin' I ain't even too sure about myself?" I asked. He nodded his head. "When we were searching the cars on the traffic jam, the car I was searching in had this picture of me and my 'dead' mother's drivers license." I said as I pulled both out.

He just stared at the pictures and then up at me. He did this a few times before he said, "Ya said she died right?" "Yeah," I started, "she died when I was four years old. Lord, Daryl that was 25 years ago." He just shook his head and said, "Well, let's see if we can find somethin' soon, alright?" I nodded and got up to make my way out the tent before Daryl grabbed my arm. I turned to look at him before he reached down and kissed my lips. I leaned in whenever I heard footsteps. We parted as I made my way out of the tent.

I walked to the fire as Carol gave me a look and a plate of eggs. Lovely meal. I scarfed down my eggs and turned to see him doing the same thing. He finished a little after me. I grabbed his plate and handed them to Lori and Carol and said a loud thank you to the both of them. Lori smiled and said welcome while Carol just nodded. Granted, her daughter might be out in these woods or something. We quickly walked to the barn and grabbed two horses. I had a time trying to get mine saddled but as soon as I did, I put my left foot in the stirrup and hoisted my right leg over. Daryl came in a few seconds later, and did the same thing.

"Ya like horses?" he said. "Love 'em. Had one named Elly in Tennessee. She was a beaut. Eighteen hands tall. Beautiful mane. Wasn't gun shy either. She was my best friend." I said smiling. He got on his saddle and we rode up to Rick. "We're heading off to look for Sophia," I said checking my bow while talking. He told us to be careful and to be back before sundown. We took off towards where Rick had pointed on the map last night and got into the words before he started talking.

"Ya have got to be the quietest woman, I ever seen." he said. I just chuckled as my eyes scanned around looking for Sophia. "Taught myself to hunt. Know how to be quiet, and I know how to be loud. You member, back at the CDC?" He just laughed and said, "Yeah, yer temper rivals mine." I chuckled as I looked down and saw faint tracks. I stopped my horse and pointed down. "She's been here. That's her shoe tred." He looked down in approval and nodded his head. We took off following the trail whenever it disappeared. "I guess this is where we break off, even though I want to spend the day with ya." I said.

He nodded and muttered a 'me too'. "Ya know fer the whole emotion thing, yer doing just fine. I like ya Daryl, and I know ya might not have done this 'fore, cause hell it's been years since I had someone I cared about more than a friend. But seriously, yer doing just fine." I said with a smile on my face. He looked down, blushing.

"Woman, I swear. Ya make me feel these things I ain't felt before. And as much as I want to stay here and talk 'bout feelin's, we gotta go find that baby girl. She can't be doing well." he said. I maneuvered my horse over to his and stared at him a second. I took his calloused hand in mine and muttered a 'be careful' before I dropped it slowly. He leaned on his stirrups and kissed my cheek. I did the same as we muttered, "Be safe." and took off in opposite directions.

I looked around, my eyes always looking for Sophia. _Why the hell did Carol think I took Sophia? I saved her little girl. The last thing I would do is take her out here, in the fucking forest and kill her. Yeah, totally me. _I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, only to see a squirrel on a limb coming down. I pulled a bow out and loaded it and as soon as it came down where I wanted it, I released the string, instantly killing the squirrel. _Gonna be supper for tonight. _I shot some more squirrels along the way, before I got about ten. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for about three days.

I maneuvered my horse who I now decided to call Blacky, around a tree. All of a sudden Blacky was up on his hind legs, with me holding on by my leg muscles. _Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! _I managed to hold on for almost all of it, before he gave one good throw and I was thrown off the horse and he galloped away. I hit the ground with a thud as I gasped for air. _Sure as hell ain't doing nothing for my shoulder. _I tried to stand up, only to be met with nausea. _There goes my breakfast. Tasted like shit anyway. Needed salt. _I leaned over a tree and threw up everything I had in my stomach. _Lovely._ I started walking back the way I came from, because with Blacky, I wasn't going to go farther. I passed countless trees and bushes before I lost my footing. I felt the ground escape my feet as I fell down something wet and slick. I landed with a thud on my bad shoulder as I let out a scream of pain.

I rolled over to my back as I felt something tear. I felt a white hot burning sensation run down through my back. I rolled on my good shoulder and turned my head to see one of my arrows stuck near my ass, right on my hip bone. I threw my head back on the cold, wet ground and closed my eyes. _Fucking fantastic, Em. Here ya are with an arrow in your hip and you're soaking wet. Get hypothermia even in the middle of whatever fucking month it is. _I braced myself and pushed myself up with my good arm. I looked around to see that I'd fallen off a ravine.

_How the fuck did ya manage this one, Emily?_ I picked up my bow and arrows and made my way up to the place where I could get up the best. I planted my foot on a tree root and hoisted myself up on it. Thank god I only weighed like a hundred twenty pounds. I kept on putting one foot in front of the other before I managed to find a weak spot, and sent myself tumbling back down the ravine.

I hit the ground hard, once again knocking the breath out of me. I gasped for air as the world went black.

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A/N: Thanks everybody for the reviews! If you have any comments or suggestions on what I do, please tell me! :)


	15. Chapter 15

I struggled to force my eyes open as I came back into reality. I got them all the way open whenever I realized I was still at the bottom of the ravine, the same one I had tried to get up earlier. I pulled myself up and sat fully up. The pain in my hip and my head was enough to bring me back down to the forest floor, but I pulled myself up off the ground and stood up. The pain was incredible. It was lucky as I was still standing on my own two feet. I picked up my bow and other things and I started trekking my way back to camp, after extensive tries to get up that damn ravine.

"Sure stayed safe didn't I?" I said aloud talking to myself. It was the only thing that could take my mind off the pain. Off of Daryl. _My favorite redneck. _I looked up to the sky to tell what time it was. It seemed nearing five o'clock, so I knew I had to get going to camp. _Shit, Hershel would be so upset that his horse ran off. It did buck me off after all. Did Daryl even get permission for us to borrow them? _I quickened up my pace as I was closer to the treeline that led into camp. Hell, it was a bitch trying to move but I had to make it back to camp, back to him. I'd go look for Sophia tomorrow or whenever I felt better.

I quickened up my pace as I saw the treeline. I was still limping terribly and the pain in my hip had started to intensify. I wasn't running on pure adrenaline anymore. I looked up to the RV expecting Blondie to be sitting up there, but she wasn't. That's when I heard all the frantic cries pooled around the door to the farmhouse. _What the fuck was going on? _I squinted my eyes just to see how far my eyesight could go. It was probably bout 200-250 yards and I couldn't see jack shit. I wiped my hands across my forehead trying to wipe sweat out of my eyes. I crossed the field into the camp whenever I saw Glenn holding redneck's crossbow.

"Holy crap, Emily! What happened to you? Come on, let's get you to Hershel." he said with a worried look on his face. I knew I looked bad, but I guess I looked worse than I thought. Granted, I did have an arrow sticking out my hip. Glenn ran over quickly and draped his arm under mine and supported me as I walked. Dale saw from across the camp and ran over too, putting his arm around me. "My lord, is today the day to get hurt?" I looked at him with a quizzical look. "Oh, you don't know yet do you? You'll see whenever we take you to Hershel, dear." I looked around and saw Andrea looking like she just killed someone she care about. I didn't really care for Andrea. Sure she hadn't done anything wrong, but she just seemed like a person who knew all. Granted I did feel bad for her, considering she lost her sister.

They managed to get me up the stairs, each step killing me. I managed to get to the top of the stairs before I hit the floor of the porch. _My legs gave out. _Glenn grabbed my legs and Dale grabbed my arms and on the count of three they both picked me up and carried me into the house that I'd never really left. "Well, this is rather embarrassing" I said as I saw Lori come around the corner. She quickly ran over before looking at my hip with a nasty expression. It must be worse than I thought. They quickly ran me into the room where Hershel was.

"My goodness, Emily. What happened to you?" I heard Maggie ask me. I was too tired to tell the story so I just said, "Yer, uh, horse threw me off a ravine." I muttered. Hershel told the boys to put in the room next door. They laid me gently on the bed whenever I looked down. _Holy shit, I was in more shit then I thought I was. Before the apocalypse the worse injury I ever had was breaking a toe. This was ten times worse. But somehow, how in the hell was I dealing with this pain way easier?_

Hershel came into the room I was in the day before with blood stained clothes on. _Who else was hurt?_He came over almost immediately and began checking my vital signs as best as he could. "Hershel, sir, who else is hurt?" I asked, my voice shaky. "Daryl is, but he's fine now. He surprisingly has the same injuries as you almost. A little different I suppose." he said checking my body up and down. He quickly cleaned the area around my hip before placing both his hands there. I braced myself, knowing he was going to have to pull it out. I closed my eyes and grasped the pillowcase in one hand, the bed frame in the other. I held a death grip and I saw Hershel start pulling. Thank god the way the arrow landed, it'd be easy for him to pull and not rupture anything. Thank the lord.

"I'm going to go on the count of three, okay Emily?" I heard him say. I nodded my head as he and Patricia put pressure on the side of my hip and my back. _Oh lord, here we go. _I shifted my thoughts to Daryl as Hershel counted off. _What the hell happened to him? So much for the both of us being careful, it seemed. _He was on one before I let out a blood curling scream as he pulled on the arrow in my hip. I held on with a death grip when I heard a scuffle in the next room with a gruffled voice making noises.

Hershel pulled once again and I let out another scream that was equally as blood-curling. I felt the arrow slide on my hip before I screamed out, "Hershel, shoot me with something!" I screamed loudly. He said something I couldn't hear because the pounding in my head was terrible and making me nauseous. I must've gotten pale whenever he asked me, "You gonna be sick? There's a bucket next to the bed." He and Patricia released their hands off my side as I leaned over and threw up the contents in my stomach. Then I dry heaved for about twenty seconds before I rolled back over and they started back up again.

After countless times of me screaming and pulling on my side, the arrow was finally out. I was covered in a sheen of sweat and I was cold. My teeth were even chattering. This isn't supposed to happen. I needed cover or I could die. Hershel threw a blanket over me before running over to the next room. I closed my eyes for what felt like ten minutes, before he came back into the room. "Well, your temps gone down, so that's the good thing. If you were out there any longer, you could've died. We should thank Glenn for what he and Dale did. Without them, you'd be dead." he said.

I nodded my head and curled up into the best I could. I slept in the fetal position most of the time. Well, you know except whenever I was cuddling up next to someone else. My thoughts turned to Daryl. I opened my eyes to not see anyone in the room. "Aren't you guys just a beaut. Leavin' a sick person in here all by herself. Next thing ya know, someone's gon walk up in here, and I'll be talkin' to the damn wall. What a lovely impression ta make on the people that saved yer life twice." I said aloud, twinging at the accent coming out of my mouth. I sounded pure wonderful.

I closed my eyes as I nodded off trying to go to sleep. I was just about asleep whenever the door opened and in walked Carol with a plate of food. She had a mean look on her face and slammed the food on the table before giving me a grunt. "What the hell's yer problem Carol?" I asked angrily, but keeping the temper down. Lord, my accent was getting worse as time went on.

"Nothing is my problem."she said and turned on her heel. "Now wait just a damn minute." I said. She stopped at the door and turned her head around at me. "Both of us know that that is plain and pure bullshit right there. You've been throwin' me tha stink eye ever since I went to get Sophia that night in that tent. Ya think I took 'er or somethin'? I love that little girl. She's such a sweetheart. I saved her once, and I'll save her again. Ya hear me, Carol?" I said all in one long sentence, but mostly because it hurt to breath in and out.

She gave me an odd look and walked out the door. I closed my eyes and laid flat on my back. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling and counted how many tiles there was over and over until finally I fell into a deep supper, without even eating my supper that was sitting on the table.

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A/N: I have had a terrible week, so I'm sorry for the late update! I've been going through some stuff, but hopefully I can crank out some chapters for ya! Enjoy!


	16. Chapter 16

I woke up and my body ached something awful. I leaned up wincing, and wiped my eyes with the corner of my hands. I pulled myself up into a sitting position and looked to the table to my left. My food was still there. I reached over to grab it and let out a whimper of pain. I dropped my hand and put my other on my hip that was aching with pain. _Seriously, is there no pain medication, or hell something? _I scooted closer to the table and grabbed the corner of the plate with my left hand that way the hole wouldn't pull as much on my hip. I grabbed the plate and placed it on my knees.

A glass of orange juice and a turkey sandwich. I never was one much for orange juice, but hey, I would gladly take anything that they gave me. I sipped on my orange juice and took a bite of my sandwich. I swallowed it and sighed looking around the room. My eyes landed on a man standing in the door frame with the eyes I'd come to love. "Bout time ya noticed me." he said with a smirk. I blushed and looked down. "Sorry. I didn't even hear ya come in, which is saying a lot." I said looking at my food.

"Here," he said handing me a packet of pringles. I looked down at them and was sent into a spiral of memories. _"Emily June," one of my friends Beth said. "Now you know better than anyone to not use my middle name, Nicole Elizabeth," I said. That'd piss her off. "I swear, you do that just to get up under my nerves all the damn time." I just laughed as I looked out across the school parking lot. There was a nice breeze floating through the air making my hair fly behind me. It was fairly warm with the sky being bright blue with the sun high in the air. Mid March. Such a beautiful day._

"_I know. What you want whore?" I said. I always called her a whore even if she wasn't one. Just a joke. "Ya wanna come over later and help me pick out something to wear on my date with Zach tonight?" I just nodded my head and continued looking out at the trees across the lot. Oh how I wanted to be in the trees, hunting for something good. "Earth to Emily." she said breaking me from my thoughts. "Want some Pringles?" she said. "I ain't ever had 'em. What they taste like?" I said. She gave me a horrendous look before shoving one in my mouth. I took it and finished it, chewing it over and tasting the cheese on it. "Pretty good." I said snatching the whole can from her. I ran away from her before returning into the school, finishing off the chips I stole. _

"You practically live in yer thoughts," Daryl said breaking me from the memory. He walked over to the chair limping slightly and sat himself carefully in the chair beside my bed. I looked him and up and down and I could see the pain that was written all over his face. Obviously, Hershel must've not given him anything either and if he did it wasn't much. I looked him over and noticed the bandage wrapped around his head. He had his hand gently placed on the left side of his body near his ribs. He leaned back in the chair and let out a sigh.

"Ya alright over there?" he asked me. I just nodded and continued to look at him. "Woman, I swear. Is there somethin' wrong with ya?" he asked, fully concerned. "In pain, but nothing I can't handle." I whispered. He sat up and gave me a look. "Somethin' ain't right with ya. Granted yer in pain, it's written all over yer face. But woman, s'there somethin' else?" he said. _Wow, he nailed the spot with that one. Was it practically written on my face? Or was it just Daryl that had noticed? Granted only Carol and him had walked in the room since I've been in here. Should I tell him about what I'm thinking? I care for him. I'll tell him._

"Sophia." I said. He looked down at the floor shaking his head. I guess he was just as upset as I was that neither one of us had brought her home. Safety. What everyone would kill for these days. I spoke in a whisper as I continued, "She's all alone in those woods, with no telling what's out there 'sides walkers. The world's never been a safe place, but months ago she at least had a place she could call home." I stopped for a second and breathed in, wincing as it hurt. I continued on, "That little girl didn't have anything on her. I care 'bout her and you more than any of the people here. It kills me to know she's outside right now without a tent over her head. No food, water, supplies, hell even a weapon. She doesn't know how to protect herself. I'd do anything to make her safe right now, but hell, I can't even get up out of this bed without hurting. Carol gave me the stink eye just for saying thanks for the food. I love that little girl like she's my own." I finished, looking up at him, expecting his eyes to be on the floor.

I was once again met with the eyes I've grown to love. We stared at each other for a minute before I broke it by taking a sip of my orange juice. I finished off what I could and handed it to him. "Drink up, redneck." I said with a small smile. He took the glass from me gingerly and swallowed it all in one gulp. My eyes began watering whenever I remembered one day back at camp whenever I gave Sophia a drink of Sunny D. She swallowed it and even asked for more. _Don't cry. Please don't cry. _I told myself over and over.

I shut my eyes and tried to control my breathing whenever I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Daryl touching me. "Whatcha cryin' for?" he whispered softly. "Sophia. Daryl, I'm fallin' apart. Can't ya see? Cuts all over, poor baby Sophia's lost in the woods, yer hurt, and here I am laid up in this bed, and neither one of us can go look for her." I said, letting some tears fall. He shifted awkwardly, and I could tell he wasn't used to the tears. I quickly wiped them off and took in a big breath and with a fake smile I said, "But, it's gonna be okay. We'll find her. Alive."

He looked at me with an odd expression. He touched my forehead with the back of his palm acting like he was taking my temperature. I took Daryl's hand off of me and set it on the bed. "It'll be fine. I ain't sick. Just tryin' to make a positive out of this." I said while looking at him. He just gave me another odd look and ran his hands through his hair, dodging the bandage on his head.

"Speakin' of which, how the hell did ya end up like this?" I said motioning to his body. "Well it started whenever I took that damn horse up tha ravine," he started. He went into this elaborate detailed version of how the horse had bucked him off into going down a ravine. He blacked out and when he woke up he saw Merle. I stopped him mid story, "Who's Merle?" He gave me an odd look. "Ya never met him did ya?" he asked. "Nah, I don't think I have. What's he like? Better yet, who is he?" I asked.

"He's ma brother. He was with us at the quarry, but right 'fore I come up on you in the woods, Rick and a group of people went to Atlanta. Member?" he said. I nodded and he continued. "Well, Merle liked to dabble in drugs and I guess he was causin' somethin' awful so Officer Friendly cuffed him to a roof." I was confused. "Is he still up there? Holy shit, Daryl. How's that possible?! He's your brother!" I said getting worked up more and more.

"We did go back. You was at the quarry washin' whenever we left. I wanted to say bye but ya weren't near." he said blushing. "He cut off his left hand and made it out. No telling where he is." he said softly. "Oh, Daryl, I'm so sorry. I never had any siblings, so I wouldn't know the pain ya went through. Yer momma and yer brother. I'm so so sorry, Daryl." I said softly, my eyes slightly watering. "S'fine." he muttered. "Ya mind tellin' me bout yer Ma and Pa?" he asked quietly.

I cleared my throat and began. "Well my daddy beat me all my life. Seriously, raise my shirt up." he looked a little weary but did it anyways. I heard him mutter holy shit under his breath. "Ever since I was four years old. The night my momma died to be exact. I learned to take 'em, deal with the pain. Wound up in the hospital, couple times. Now my mom, she was a different story. I can't remember much bout her, but what I do remember, she was lovely. She had hair like mine that I used to run my hands through." I said, smiling at the last part. "I don't remember anything else, but lord, I remember her funeral. They said she got hit by a car. Dad didn't look the least bit sad. That night he took everything out on me. I almost died that night too, if I remember correctly. I took fifteen years of abuse before I went to college and got out of his hair. We unfortunately moved here in college and then years later this shit happened. I don't know where he's at. But if I see him in walker form, I'm taking that asshole down. No one's gonna get in my way either." I said as a yawn let loose from my lips.

Daryl just gave me a look of sadness. "Ya know, my Ma died when I was old 'nough to ride a bike. I think Merle was twelve. My dad started drinking way more after that, wound up killin' some black man in a bar one night. Got sentenced to jail. I suspect he's in there right now. If he's a walker, I'm gonna be the only one to kill him too." he said.

"Wow, never realized how much alike we are." I muttered as I looked down at the bed sheets, that had such a boring flower pattern on them. "Hey," he whispered. I looked up to meet his eyes. "What?" I said back, quietly. He leaned in and pecked me on the cheek. "Woman, we're both troubled, but get some sleep. That way we can go and look for Sophia tomorrow. You can bring 'er back to her mom. Wanna do that?" he asked me. I nodded my head and positioned myself as to where I was facing him, but fully laid down on the bed.

I pulled the covers up next to me whenever I felt Daryl slide in. I gave him a look and he just said, "What. I'm hurt too. Might as well just take one bed and let someone else have the other. Plus, yer hurt worse then me. I'll make sure yer alright Barbie." he said,smirking at the last part. I softly tapped his shoulder with a punch and he just laughed and pulled me into him. "Daryl. Ever since I found Mom's drivers liscense, ya think she's alive out there? Somewhere, or am I stupid to think she might be alive?" I asked.

"Ya ain't stupid for havin' hope. That's the best thing these days. I kinda wish I could see my old man again, to show him that what he did to me when I was younger ain't gon happen anymore. I'm a different person now. Got new people to protect. People like ya." he said blushing the whole time. "I'm glad yer here. I'm just glad I found that deer, otherwise I'd still be high tailing it by myself." I said. He just nodded before he gave me a kiss on the forehead and told me to sleep. "Goodnight Em."

Good god, I loved it when he called me Em. "Night, Daryl." I said as I leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. "See ya in the mornin'," he said as I fell into a deep sleep.

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AN: Thanks for the reviews! Sorry I've been behind, but that's gonna change! Please send more reviews loves! :)


	17. Chapter 17

I woke up hearing the sounds of raised voices, continuing to get louder and louder. I groaned and and I heard a chuckle from beside me. I opened my eyes and sat up to the best of my ability and cleaned my eyes of the excess sleep. "Ya slept like a rock, Em." I heard my favorite redneck say. I cleared my throat and opened my eyes taking in the sunshine streaming in through the lace curtains on the window. "Did I? Didn't even move, did I?" I said stretching. My side still hurt awfully, but I dealt with it and stretched, careful not to undo my stitches. Hershel would be so mad if I did that. Hell, I'd be mad at myself. "Not once." he said.

I looked over at him to see Daryl in changed clothes. He must be able to get up and moving today. He had a faint smile tracing the outlines of his mouth. "Ya alright?" he asked me. I nodded my head and scooted closer to the edge of the bed. I swung my legs over and placed myself where we were sitting knee to knee. "Daryl. Can I ask ya two things?" I muttered quietly. He nodded and looked at me confused. "Alright, can ya take me to the bathroom?" I said. He let out a hearty chuckle and stood up holding his side and helped me up. His hand was on the small of my back and the other held my hand.

We walked across the floor each of our steps so faint you almost couldn't hear them. I looked down at the floor to see him just wearing socks. "Yer just wearin' socks?" I said looking back up at him, with a fake shocked face. "Ya know, it's possible for me to. Did it all the time 'fore." He said with a little smirk. He opened the door and let me in. "I got the rest from here. Promise." I said letting go of his hand. Daryl nodded and let me go slowly and then grabbed the door knob and closed the door just as silently as his footsteps. I got finished with my business and made it back to the door. I opened it and looked around to see Daryl not in sight.

I shrugged and walked along the wall into the kitchen. "My goodness, Emily! Are you okay? I don't think you should be out of bed!" I heard Carl say from behind me. I turned around slowly and met the little kid's eyes that were just like his fathers. "I'm fine. Promise. It'll just be a day or two 'fore I start walkin' round good again, bud." I said as I ruffling the kid's hair. He pouted and placed his dad's hat back on his head. "Alright. Well, I'm gonna go outside. Be careful, Emily. Alright?" he said as he walked through the kitchen and out the front door.

"Woman, I swear. Ya keep on runnin' off on me. Ya should be in bed, resting." I heard as I turned around to come face to face with my favorite redneck. "I'm fine. Might even go outside today ya know." I said with a smile on my face. Daryl started to protest but I stopped him with, "Now, I'm like ya, can't be laid up in this house all day. I need air." I said. "Plus, don't get me wrong, I love the look of this house, but nothin' moves. The walls ain't goin' nowhere." I said as we both chuckled.

"It's nice to see you up, Emily. You've recovered well it seems. Now all we have to do is wait for the wound to heal, and you should be good. Although, there will be a scar there." Hershel said as he came around the corner with Maggie and Beth by his side. "Well thank you, Hershel. It's all thanks to you of course. The scars are fine. Give me somethin' to remember." I said smiling. He just nodded and said, "Well, you're free to move out of the house. We have a tent if you want one."

I looked over to Daryl and he looked kind of sad, almost. "No thank you, sir. You keep it. I'll just room with Daryl. I've already taken enough from you. You keep it, please. Once again, thank you for literally everything that you've done for me, Hershel. You too Maggie and Beth." All three of them smiled simultaneously and you could tell they were family. "It's nice to see that even in time's like this, there's still people with hospitality and caring. I'm thankful." He smiled and quickly exited the room with his daughters leaving me alone once again with Daryl.

He walked to the door and leaned up against it, taking in my sight all at once. "Ya never asked me the second question ya know?" he said with a smirk. _Crap, I never did ask him. _"Uhm, ya know yer crossbow?" I asked so quietly I wasn't sure if I even heard it come out of my mouth. But he did, he always hears. "Yeah, what bout it?" he asked. "Well, I was just uh, wondering, if I could uhh." I stopped and tried to recollect my words whenever he said "Shoot it?" I looked up to meet his eyes.

"Yeah. I mean, my bows pretty awesome, but ya know maybe if yer in trouble or somethin' and couldn't get to yer bow but I could, I could ya know help ya with whatever. Or in case ya don't wanna go huntin' I could take it out instead, of just my bow. To be safe? Well ya haven't said anythin' yet, so I guess it's a no. I mean that's fine, I guess." I said before I was interrupted by a kiss. I closed my eyes and kissed him back.

"Woman, that's the most I've heard ya talk in a while. Well here. Number one, yes I can teach you how to work the bow. Number two, there's somethin' wrong with ya. Ya know, other than the whole getting an arrow through yer side." he said with a grim expression on his face. _He cares. He knows that there's something else. _I smiled and said thanks for letting him shoot the bow. "There actually is something I wanna talk about, but if ya don't mind, I'd rather talk bout it in yer tent." I said.

"Sure thing. Let's just get out of here. Damn place makes me feel all cooped up." he said with a grunt. I chuckled lightly and made my way to the front door the way I did into the kitchen. Walls were my new best friends it seemed like. I got to the screen door and just looked outside. I saw Dale sitting on his RV with the rifle in his lap and Andrea sitting by him. _Stupid whore. Seriously, did she not think I hadn't seen the passes she'd been making at Shane. Too bad he wanted Lori. Good lord, this was like a bad soap opera. Then it just makes matters worse because Rick is Shane's best friend. Or might as well say was. They ain't the same anymore. From what Lori said, they act completely different. _

"Yer in yer thoughts again woman, damn." I heard Daryl say beside me. "Ya know, this is like a bad episode of a soap opera. Andrea likes Shane. Shane likes Lori, but she's married to Rick who's Shane's best friend. Not to mention that Shane fucked her. In more ways that one." I said spouting off at once. I saw Daryl's head turn to me out of the corner of my eye. "What, it's true!" I exclaimed. He just scoffed and muttered, "Yeah, I know." I continued on with the story while stepping out on the front porch and walking over to the railing. "And then ya have Dale who treats Andrea like he's her daughter and she hates it."

"Em." he stopped me. "Yeah," I said, turning my head to meet those beautiful eyes. "Bitch shot me." I was confused for a second before it kicked in. "Andrea?!" I said harshly. A grunt followed, which could only be taken as a yes. "Stupid bitch. See this is why only certain ones of us should carry. Oh lord, wait til I get back workin' properly. I'll light somethin' up under her ass." I said, getting more furious by the second. _Who the fuck does this bitch think she is? She's goin' round shooting up people. Lord knows attracting how many walkers. Lord have mercy on her soul, cause she's gonna need it. _

"Em." I heard, breaking me from my thoughts. "Yeah, I know, in my thoughts again." I said, sighing. I held my side and started walking down the stairs before I felt a hand on my back. I knew it was Daryl's instantly. He helped me down the stairs and as soon as we hit the bottom stair, he pulled away and walked up to the side of me. I let out a sigh and was about to ask a question whenever I heard, "Emily!" I looked around to see Curly walking up to me. "Ya know how to stitch?" he said.

I just scoffed. "I'm a surgeon, so no. I have no idea on how to stitch somethin'." I said with a smirk on my face. He just scoffed and held an aggravated stance. "Seriously." he said. "Alright, pony boy, what the fuck ya need me to stitch up?" I asked, annoyed. _Man don't know how to take a joke, hell even sarcasm for the matter. _"Need somethin' stitched." he said, beckoning me to follow him. "Woah now. I ain't no dog. Tell me what ya need stitched, and I might just help ya." I said putting my hand on my good hip. "Arm. Got cut, there?" he said, obviously annoyed.

_Hell, I don't give a damn. Son of a bitch was mean, and rubbed me the wrong way. He just made matters worse with the Lori thing. And now, beckoning me like a little dog. Hell no. Things don't work that way in the book of Emily. _I just scoffed and followed him slowly. "Hey Em." I heard Daryl say. "Yeah, Daryl?" I asked. "I'll be in the tent, holler if ya need anythin'. Can't stand to be round Shane, if ya know what I mean." he said looking at the ground, biting his nail.

"Sure thing, Dare." I said as I smiled. "Dare?" he asked, blushing. "Sorry, but I gotta go. We'll talk later. See ya!" I said as I tried to catch up with Curly. I finally caught up with him whenever he walked to his tent. He walked inside and I tried my best to follow but it was hard getting in. "Hey, uhh, yer tent's too low to the ground. Ya mind coming out here, so I don't hurt myself even worse?" I asked with a innocent voice. _Lord knows what would happen if I went in there. _He let out an aggravated grunt and unzipped the tent and got out.

"I ain't needin' nothing stitched, girl. I just wanted to talk to ya." Curly said. _Fuckin' a. How'd I call it. Next thing ya know, he might wanna get in my pants. I betcha one day he'll try._ "Look, what ya need to talk to me bout if ya called me all the way over here? It ain't that bad. But look, seriously if it ain't important, I'm gonna take my broken ass to my tent and sit it down and get some sleep." I said, letting out some anger.

"Look, we ain't gonna find Sophia! She's dead. You are not in the position to jeopardize your life for a little girl who's gone!" he said, seething with anger. "Excuse me," I said, giving him the chance to reword his sentence before I had to smack the piss out of him. I sat down on the picnic table and stared at him. "Look, you are too valuable to go out there to look for her." he said starting off. "You're a good person, a nice piece of ass too."_ It's like he just wants to get me going._ "Now, don't go in those woods anymore, ya hear me!" he said getting close to my face.

I climbed off the table as best I could and got in his face. "No, now you listen here, Curly." I began. He looked a little shocked but didn't say anything. "That little girl, is one of the two people I care about the most here. Now, I'm sorry if you think that I'ma listen to what ya tell me, but I ain't. I'm gonna find that little girl, and she's gonna be just fine. Ya hear me. I'm goin' back out in those woods, and I'm going to find her, whether yer pathetic ass thinks I will or not. Got it!?" I said, pointing my finger in his face one last time before limping back to the tent.

I was walking down the driveway on the way to the tent whenever I heard a voice from opposite me. I swiveled fast on my feet to only be met with a face I'd never thought I would see in years. "Well, hello Emily. It's so nice to see you again after all this time." I snarled my lip in disgust. "Out of all the people in this fucked up world, I'd never thought I'd see you after all this time, Cheyenne." I said. "Oh, come on cousin. Daddy would'a smacked ya for that mouth of yours." she said, smiling. "Well ya know what, he ain't here!" I screamed as I tackled her, taking us both to the ground.


	18. Chapter 18

I woke up hearing the sounds of raised voices, continuing to get louder and louder. I groaned and and I heard a chuckle from beside me. I opened my eyes and sat up to the best of my ability and cleaned my eyes of the excess sleep. "Ya slept like a rock, Em." I heard my favorite redneck say. I cleared my throat and opened my eyes taking in the sunshine streaming in through the lace curtains on the window. "Did I? Didn't even move, did I?" I said stretching. My side still hurt awfully, but I dealt with it and stretched, careful not to undo my stitches. Hershel would be so mad if I did that. Hell, I'd be mad at myself. "Not once." he said.

I looked over at him to see Daryl in changed clothes. He must be able to get up and moving today. He had a faint smile tracing the outlines of his mouth. "Ya alright?" he asked me. I nodded my head and scooted closer to the edge of the bed. I swung my legs over and placed myself where we were sitting knee to knee. "Daryl. Can I ask ya two things?" I muttered quietly. He nodded and looked at me confused. "Alright, can ya take me to the bathroom?" I said. He let out a hearty chuckle and stood up holding his side and helped me up. His hand was on the small of my back and the other held my hand.

We walked across the floor each of our steps so faint you almost couldn't hear them. I looked down at the floor to see him just wearing socks. "Yer just wearin' socks?" I said looking back up at him, with a fake shocked face. "Ya know, it's possible for me to. Did it all the time 'fore." He said with a little smirk. He opened the door and let me in. "I got the rest from here. Promise." I said letting go of his hand. Daryl nodded and let me go slowly and then grabbed the door knob and closed the door just as silently as his footsteps. I got finished with my business and made it back to the door. I opened it and looked around to see Daryl not in sight.

I shrugged and walked along the wall into the kitchen. "My goodness, Emily! Are you okay? I don't think you should be out of bed!" I heard Carl say from behind me. I turned around slowly and met the little kid's eyes that were just like his fathers. "I'm fine. Promise. It'll just be a day or two 'fore I start walkin' round good again, bud." I said as I ruffling the kid's hair. He pouted and placed his dad's hat back on his head. "Alright. Well, I'm gonna go outside. Be careful, Emily. Alright?" he said as he walked through the kitchen and out the front door.

"Woman, I swear. Ya keep on runnin' off on me. Ya should be in bed, resting." I heard as I turned around to come face to face with my favorite redneck. "I'm fine. Might even go outside today ya know." I said with a smile on my face. Daryl started to protest but I stopped him with, "Now, I'm like ya, can't be laid up in this house all day. I need air." I said. "Plus, don't get me wrong, I love the look of this house, but nothin' moves. The walls ain't goin' nowhere." I said as we both chuckled.

"It's nice to see you up, Emily. You've recovered well it seems. Now all we have to do is wait for the wound to heal, and you should be good. Although, there will be a scar there." Hershel said as he came around the corner with Maggie and Beth by his side. "Well thank you, Hershel. It's all thanks to you of course. The scars are fine. Give me somethin' to remember." I said smiling. He just nodded and said, "Well, you're free to move out of the house. We have a tent if you want one."

I looked over to Daryl and he looked kind of sad, almost. "No thank you, sir. You keep it. I'll just room with Daryl. I've already taken enough from you. You keep it, please. Once again, thank you for literally everything that you've done for me, Hershel. You too Maggie and Beth." All three of them smiled simultaneously and you could tell they were family. "It's nice to see that even in time's like this, there's still people with hospitality and caring. I'm thankful." He smiled and quickly exited the room with his daughters leaving me alone once again with Daryl.

We scuffled and threw punches before I let out a blood piercing scream. I was still pinned on the ground before I flipped Cheyenne over and held her down. I heard the others running, trying their hardest to get to me. She flipped me over and pulled my hair, me screaming out loud due to the pain. "Not this time you bitch!" I yelled, just as soon as I was pulled off of her. I looked down to see Curly grabbing me and holding me back. "What's going on here?!" Rick said aggravated.

I pulled off of Curly, pain rippling through my side. Glenn still had a somewhat hold on Cheyenne. _Bitch wasn't stronger than a damn squirrel. Only got the jump cause I'm hurt. Stupid, self conniving little bitch. _"This little bitch left me to die in the motherfucking woods! Some lovely ass cousin you are,you bitch!" I said, fuming, spitting out my words. "Alright, now, let's just calm down and we can talk about this." Rick said, trying to play the good cop role here.

"No! I ain't gon' calm down. Yer my cousin Cheyenne. I wanna know why ya left! Couldn't deal with me no more? Or was it the fact that yer 'boyfriend' wanted to drop me off, leave me behind! Was it that?! Hmm, come on just tell me what it was! You don't know what I went through to survive out there! I'd be dead if it wasn't fer these people! I can't even look at you. Cheyenne, just no. In this godforsaken world, I only had you, and you took that from me! You're awful." I said almost in tears.

I felt someone behind me. "Em, calm down." I instantly relaxed and turned away from the group and stalked off back to the tent, not caring who followed me. I wished I hadn't taken her on. Granted she was only around five foot, hundred pounds. Couldn't hit or shoot anything for shit. I was still hurt, and it just messed up my side even more. Lovely, another day I'll still be stuck out here, not finding Sophia. I ran my hands through my hair letting out a shaky sigh as I got to the campfire and sat down on one of the lawn chairs. _Why the fuck is she here? Better question, how the hell did she find this farm? This just didn't make any sense. _I looked out at the tree line, wishing I could be out there searching for Sophia. Tough shit, seems like.

I heard Lori's footsteps come up behind me before I even heard her speak. "Emily, are you okay?" she asked in that maternal way. "Just fine." I spit out, getting up from the chair, grunting in pain. I took off once again, just to get alone and away from these people. Lori quickly caught up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Look, Emily. I just want to help you, you helped me through the Shane thing, so now it's my turn to return the favor. Please, just tell me. I'll help you." she said. I bit my lip and pondered for a second. I looked up to see the sun sitting directly in the sky. "I'll tell ya at three. Til then, can I have some time alone. If Daryl comes lookin', I'll be 'round. Tell him not to fret." I said and stalked off. I heard her mutter an okay and her footsteps retreating back to camp.

I walked around the outskirts of camp until I found a little dock with a spring running underneath it. It was beautiful. I laid down and looked up at the sky. _"I swear, if you go runnin' off one more time little cousin, I ain't coming back to find your ass." Cheyenne said. "Bullshit, Chey. You know that you'd come lookin' for me anytime." I said with a chuckle. "That's right. But seriously, why do you run off so much?" she asked, seriously now. "Well, if ya want the honest truth, your little boyfriend Blake, or whatever the hell he is, he's too much for me, sometimes. Personality's clash, you for one should know that. Remember you and my ex-boyfriend?" I said. She just scoffed and got up and walked over to Blake. They talked for a while before I hollered to them. "Hey, I'm goin' in the woods. Get some squirrel or somethin'. I'll bring some back for the others too." They just nodded and gave me a look. I was confused but just continued anyway. I went into the woods and got about five squirrels. I came back all excited and hollering for them to come, but no one came. I was confused until I reached the camp. Everyone left, they were all gone. With me left alone. Fuck all of them. _

_I sat down next to the fire and lit it up. I cleaned and gutted the squirrel and making a kabob out of the meat. I roasted it over the fire until it was cooked. I ate it quickly and looked around. Everyone had left. Everyone had. Some apocalyptic friends they were. I thought of Cheyenne. Stupid bitch left me for dead. She never was a good cousin anyways. Who cares if I was younger than her? Just wait until I see her again. Slowly sadness and abandonment filled my veins. I was all alone, left in a world where everywhere I go, whether it be people or walker thingys trying to kill me. I climbed up in a tree and belted myself in. No walker thing was gonna get me during the night. Tomorrow morning, I'd wake and pack my things and get the hell out of this camp. And that's exactly what I did._

"Em." I heard someone say behind me. Iopened my eyes to see Daryl standing above me, blocking what little of the sun there was left. I sat up and looked around. The sun was sitting round half down. _3 o'clock. Time to go talk to Lori. Lord knows she'd be waiting for me._ I made an effort to get up, but my body hurt like hell. "Here," he said giving me a hand. He helped me up and we stood still for a second looking at each other. "Ya been out here since noon, ya know?" he said. "Figured. I got in my thoughts and stayed there for a while. I remembered whenever that bitch left me to fend fer myself. Ain't she just a beaut." I said scoffing at the ground.

"Wouldn't call her a beaut. Ain't nothin' pretty bout her or that man she's got with her." he said. _Was Blake here? If he was, shit was gonna go down. _"Man?" I said through gritted teeth. "Yeah, calls himself Paden." he said. _Thank God it wasn't him. Paden? I knew that name. He was in the group! But wait, what happened to Blake? _"In yer thoughts." I laughed and said, "Well I always am." I continued. "Wanna hear how I got left behind?" I said. He nodded and then I told him the story.

"Now, she's a real beaut." he said angrily. "Paden was in the group too. He always had a thing for 'er. I don't think she even noticed. But oh well, it's not like it matters anyways. Is she staying here?" I said. "Well Rick and Shane are gonna think bout it. I don't like her, but he ain't that bad. He seems like he knows his way 'round." he said. I nodded and bit the inside of my cheek. We stood still for a minute overlooking the spring and the treeline. "It's beautiful out here." I said. "There was this one place back home that I'd take Paige whenever she was having a bad day. It had a spring like this and the treeline opened up into a field that showed the sun beautifully. She'd giggle and laugh and no matter how bad our day was, it made everything right." He looked over at me and nodded.

"Me too." he said. I nodded and said, "Well, even though Paige ain't here, you're here. And that's perfect for me." I turned away and headed back to the camp so I could talk to Lori before she flipped shit. "Hey!" Daryl called. "What ya need, redneck?" I said smiling. "Woman, come here fer a sec." I walked back over to him. Before I had a chance to speak, his soft lips were on mine. The kiss was sweet and full of passion unlike the others that we'd shared before. We parted and rested our foreheads on each others. "Come on," I said. "Lori wants me to talk to her, and we both need some rest."

He nodded and took my hand as we walked back to camp. This moment is beautiful, I thought to myself. Out of all the people from my old life I could have wanted here, I wouldn't have wanted any of them. Daryl Dixon is enough for me, no matter what. I'd grown to love the redneck. He'd do anything for the ones he cared about. It was killing the both of us that Sophia was stuck in the woods with no one out there with her. It killed me. He let go of my hand as we came up on the camp. That was fine with me. I knew he didn't like touching in public. So I just let out a sigh and walked over to Lori.

"Hey, I'm here now." I said. "Now, spill." I told her the whole story of me getting left behind and whenever I was done, she gave me a hug and told me that she had to go find Carl. I stood up from her tent and was making my way back to Daryl's tent whenever I heard a scoff. "Well, well, well. If it isn't miss prissy." I turned around to see both Paden and Cheyenne there. I scoffed and kept on walking. "I'm being serious, prissy. Why ya limpin'?" she said. "Wanna know, go ask someone else. I ain't talking to you." I stalked off and was almost to the tent whenever she caught back up with me.

"Look, Em." she said. "Don't you dare call me that." I said. I could hear Daryl moving around in the tent, trying his best to be quiet. "Why, ya miss your mommy?" she said mocking my accent. "Shut the hell up, ya don't know shit!" I said unzipping the tent to the best of my ability. "I know everythin' little cuz. I know all bout yer daddy beatin' you, and all those scars. Now you've just got even more scars!" she laughed and Paden looked downright shocked. I guess he didn't know how bad she could be to me.

"Yeah, well glad ya do. Wanna know somethin' else?" I said. "I'll give ya a scar if ya don't shut the hell up and get away from our tent!" I screamed at her. "Our tent?" she said. She bent down and peaked in to see Daryl in there, pretending to be asleep. "Oh, yer fucking the redneck! Never knew ya swung that way little cousin." she said. _Enough was enough. _"I ain't screwing him. And what the hell you mean swung that way?! I didn't say jack shit bout yer 'emo' boyfriend now did I? Wait til I can move around, hon. You'll be wishing ya kept yer mouth shut." I said as I climbed in the tent.

I let out a shaky sigh and turned away from Daryl as I laid down. I let out a few tears as I thought of what Cheyenne had said. _Who did she think she was? These were my people. There was no way in hell she was gonna tear me apart or make fun of them. They were my family. I'd go through the seven rings of hell just to get them back and keep them safe. _I closed my eyes and moved into a more comfortable position before I heard, "Em". I stayed in the same postion, and asked "Yes?" in a shaky voice. "Turn 'round will ya. I wanna see yer face."

I turned over to be met with Daryl's face. He pulled me into his arms as I started to sob. Soaking his shirt with my tears, he rubbed circles on the small of my back with his free hand. He rubbed my head with the other. After a while, the tears stopped so I sat up and wiped my eyes. "She's a bitch, Dare. No matter what I've done in life, there she is, makin' things way more complicated. I can't stand her." I said. "I understand ya. She's like Merle, in some ways I guess. But hey, come on, it's supper time. I hear Lori and Carol bitchin' already. Come on. Let's go." he said as I watched him get up.

He unzipped the tent and got out. "Be there in a sec, Daryl. I'll, uh, clean up first." I said to him. "Sure, just don't take too long. Yer not alone anymore, Em." he said with a smile. I let out a huge smile. I heard his footsteps retreating, so I pulled my bag over and pulled out the picture and license of my Mom's. I looked at them for a moment and then stuffed them back in the bag. To the best of my ability, I changed into a pair of black short shorts and a red lace tank-top. Keep me cool and look stylish at the same time. I traded in my boots for a pair of black converse. Such a change from the regular clothing. I got out of the tent only to come face to face with Cheyenne.

"Supper time, Em." she said with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. "Shut up, bitch. I know. Got better ears than ya. Been ready for a while now." I said as I walked away from her. "Emily!" Carl said as I sat on the ground next to Daryl's feet. "Hey, bud!" I said with a smile on my face. Lori handed me a plate of food. I thanked her and looked down. It was a piece of overcooked squirrel and some kind of potatoes from a can. I ate it anyways and was about to head back to the tent whenever I heard Cheyenne speak up.

"So tell me, Emily. Why don't ya tell all of us the story of how ya shot the man that tried to take our food that one time?" she said with a smirk. I heard a gasp before I stood up. _The hell?! She ain't gonna do nothing. _"It ain't like that guys. Just hear me out."

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AN: Thanks for the reviews guys! It means a lot to me! Here's a new chapter for ya! (:


	19. Chapter 19

I felt everyone's eyes on me. "Seriously, I ain't like I meant to kill him. He raped one of the girls in the group!" I said, starting to get heated. I looked around at the faces of the family I had started to love. Carol was the first to get up, having a disgusted look on her face. "Please, just sit down and I'll tell you the whole story. Just please. Cheyenne's making a big deal out of something that I still regret to this day." I said, looking down at the ground. They were all silent for a moment. _Please, someone say something. _"Go on, Emily. Tell us the story. Don't leave out any details." I heard Lori speak up. _Thank god. I knew I liked her for a reason. _"Yeah, tell us Emily." Dale said. "Well it started like this." I began.

_I had just come out of the woods with a string of squirrels attached to my side. I knew that a majority of people had went on a run and only a few of us stayed behind. I immediately walked over to the makeshift table and began gutting the squirrels and a rabbit I'd found. I kept on hearing this whimpering noise so I decided to get up and investigate. I looked around but didn't see anything, so I just went back and sat down and began work on the rabbit. I heard the noise once again. What the hell was that noise? I got up and walked around the tents until I saw Morgan's tent moving around. I went over and 'knocked' on the door. "Morgan?" I called out. I didn't hear anything. This was odd._

"_Morgan?" I called again. "You okay in there?" I said. Once again no answer. "Mo, I'm gonna come in the tent, alright?" I said. As soon as I started to unzip the tent I was thrown backwards and landed on the ground with a hard thud. The air was taken away from me before I looked up to see Parker running out of the tent. I got up quickly and practically ran into the tent to see Morgan curled in a little ball, crying her eyes out. "Mo! What happened?!" even though I already knew what happened, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. She just continued to cry as I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry it out. The rest of the group had gotten back so I left her and went to go to talk to the 'leader' Blake. _

"So wait, you left her alone?" Glenn said. "She was asleep and had a knife right beside her. Plus, my eyes were on that tent the whole time. Nothing was hurting her." I said. He nodded as I continued on with the story. _Well even though I told them they didn't do anything. Next thing I know I'm the only one that's on Morgan's side. "This is bullshit!" I screamed. "It wasn't her fault that Dave's an asshole!" No one agreed with me though. Weeks passed without incident and no one seemed to like me anymore. One day the others were out on a run and once again, I was left to tend to camp alone. Some fucking friends they are. I was washing my clothes whenever I heard a twig break from behind me. I instantly stopped my washing and grabbed my bow. I turned around quickly to be met with Parker's face._

"_Well, hello Emily. How are ya?" he said with a sick smile. "Not too good, asshole." I said with a snarl. This was the same son of a bitch that raped Morgan. "Aw. Now why's that?" he said with a fake sad face. "No one believes the shit ya did to Mo. Now they're all up against me!" I said. "Well, that's just too bad, ya know. I liked ya Emily, but now that's changed. Can't believe you of all people would think I'd do something like that!" he said. I started moving backwards, but all of a sudden my bow was flown out of my hands and I was on the forest floor before I realized it. Parker was on top of me trying his hardest to kiss me. I kneed him in the groin and backed out from under him._

"_Not today, you asshole!" I screamed. I picked up my bow and arrow and aimed it at him. "Oh come on, now Em. Ya know you like it." he said, picking himself up off the floor. "Please. You're full of shit, Parker. Don't come any closer, or I will hurt you." I said, not playing any games. "Oh please, you're a surgeon. You're the one that saves lives, not takes them away." he said, playing mind games. "That was before the world went to shit, and I didn't have to watch out fer people like ya!" I said, partially yelling._

"_What is going on here!" I heard Blake scream from behind me. "This asshole just tried to rape me!" I hollered back. "Are you serious, Parker would never do such a thing!" Cheyenne said from behind me. I heard various others agree from both sides. We were attracting a crowd now. "Yeah, well he did." I said, snarling. "Why don't ya just put the bow down and we can talk about this rationally." Blake said. "Ya see, that's the thing Blake. I ain't a rational person. You for one should know that quite well." I said. I lowered my bow anyways and walked off. That night I slept terribly. _

"So you mean to tell me, he almost raped you and the others didn't believe you?" Dale said, shocked. I nodded my head. "Well then the next day Parker tried to steal my food that I'd just caught. I wasn't having it," I said, getting back into the story. _I raised my bow up to meet Parker's face. Yer trying to steal my food now, Parker?!" I said, screaming. We were in the woods, no one would really hear. Granted we were close to camp, but who cares. They could hear for all I could care. "Now, Parker I really don't want to have to shoot you, so just put my food down and it'll all go easily." I said trying to make things easier. He kept on moving closer to me and I kept on backing up until I hit the treeline. "I swear, Parker, don't make me shoot you."_

"_There'll be no need for shooting me with that pussy bow of yours. How many walkers ya nailed with that thing?" he said with a smirk. "Plenty 'nough that I know how to kill them. EASILY." I grunted back in response. "Mhm, sure." he said. He kept on coming closer. "Parker, stop. Seriously. Please don't make me shoot you." I said with seriousness. He let out a maniacal laugh and took another step closer. "I'm serious!" I screamed, walking into camp. Others had started to look. "Oh come on Em. We both know that you want me. Nobody can deny this. Now it's time to come to me." he said. _

"I had enough." I said. I let go off the arrow intending to shoot him in the arm. Make him injured, but still keep him alive. But at the last second, he moved and the arrow hit him the head. He fell down on top of me. The next day, everyone left. Some nice parting gift they left me." I said, recalling the memory. I looked up to see all kinds of faces with all different emotions. Dale looked sad whereas Glenn looked kind of happy or serene. Although the face that hit me the worse was Daryl's. He looked so upset. There was anger, hatred, and sadness behind the eyes I had come to love. I knew that we would be talking later.

I cleared my throat and stood up. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm goin' to get some sleep so I can go look for baby Sophia in the mornin'." I said. Some nodded and others let out an okay. Instead of walking to our tent, I went straight by Cheyenne's. "Oh, yoo hoo! Big cousin! I'd just love to talk to you." I said. I hadn't even seen her get up whenever I was telling my story, but both her and Paden had left. Neither had probably wanted to hear my story. Who knows what kind of bullshit they could have came up with, had I not sat everyone down and explained it to them.

"Yes, little cousin." I heard Cheyenne ask from inside the tent. "Just give me a few seconds and I'll be out." I let out a loud scoff and put my hand on my good him. Must be my new standing pose. I heard Daryl walk up beside me and put his arm around me. Thank god Cheyenne had had the decency to put her tent away from everyone else's. "What ya doin' Em?" I heard him whisper to me. "Just makin' one thing straight. Then going to bed so I can go find Sophia in the mornin'. Wanna come with?" I asked. He nodded and said, "Alright. Sure thing. Just don't get in a fight." he said. I let out a scoff and said, "Me? In a fight? You, redneck, are hilarious."

I heard Cheyenne fumbling around the inside of the tent for a few good minutes before Daryl finally had had enough. I saw him look around out of the corner of my eye before he kissed me. I kissed him hard back, but we both broke apart whenever we heard the tent zipper unzipping. He released me almost immediately and crossed his arms over his chest. She stepped out of the tent and looked at me. "Now, look. This ain't like the times before. This is my family, I was here first. Do not fuck with them, ya understand me. Ya can't go running to yer mom like before. She ain't here now to help save ya. This is 'tween me and you. If ya wanna put more people in it, I'll make sure Hershel throws ya off the farm. Ya got that?" I said with malice in my tone. She looked shocked for a second and then quickly changed her face, hoping I didn't see that.

"Look, Emily. You've fucked with my life many times before, it's just payback love." she said, smiling. Daryl scoffed and grunted under his breath. Cheyenne couldn't decipher what he said, so she just paid no attention to him. "Oh please, what about that time my boyfriend cheated on me with ya, and then dumped my ass so you took him to prom? Or what about the time, Aunt Karen caught me in the basement taking a swig and you were the one that told her I was down there?" I said, bringing up some memories.

"Or what about that one time-" I said before she cut me off. "Enough. Seriously, just drop it." she said. "Problem?" I said with a smirk on my face. Her face went through twenty emotions before settling on anger. "Look, Chey." I said, using her fake innocent voice and old nickname. She looked shocked. "This ain't yer show anymore. It's mine and I'm not that same Emily that you once knew." I said once again, quieter than before. "They're my family. I'd do anything to protect them. I'm sorry that you think just because yer my cousin, I'd come runnin' back. You've nailed me in the ass how many times in life now?" I said, scoffing. "Ya left me to fend fer myself. Ya wanna know what it's like, livin' on yer own fer months!" I screamed, letting the tears fill up my eyes.

"Ya don't wanna know what that feels like! I was so alone. Day after day! Scroungin' for food and water. Shelter. At least you had Paden with you! I was alone. With no one there to watch my back, or to give me comfort." I said, shaking. Daryl stepped closer to us. "Now, I ain't gon' do nothing. But get this straight Cheyenne. Any funny business and I'll kick yer ass myself. Now go back inside yer tent and screw Paden some more. Make sure ya cover the hickeys. Carl'll ask what they are." I said as I quickly turned around and wiped the tears coming off of my face.

I quickly walked to the tent, hearing Daryl's footsteps behind mine. I threw open the tent flap and climbed in as fast as I could. I sat down and started balling my eyes out. _No one knew what it was like to be out there alone. With no one to hold you, or tell you it was gonna be okay. They didn't know. At all. _I heard Daryl step in and sit close to me. I looked up to see him sitting there with sadness written all over his face. "Em." he said, scooting closer to me. I flung my arms around his body, taking in his scent as I started crying again. He moved me in a more comfortable position and massaged my back with his hand while muttering, "I'm sorry," into my hair countless times.

I pulled away after some time, wiping the tears off my face. "Redneck." I said, clearing my voice. "Yeah, woman?" he asked, smiling. "I'm sorry for cryin' all over ya. It's the second time already." I said chuckling. "Yer fine. Promise." he said. "Okay." I said, so quiet. I took off my shoes and got inside the sleeping bag. I laid on my good side and closed my eyes. I felt Daryl slide in next to me and wrap his arm around my torso. "Em." he said. I muttered a hmm, and opened my eyes. "Fer a minute there, I thought ya was gonna whoop Cheyenne's ass. Again." he said, chuckling. "Ya gave her some nice brusies, I must say. But we can talk tomorrow, if ya wanna go lookin' fer Sophia again?" he said, blushing.

"Sure thing, Daryl." I said smiling. I quickly pecked him on the lips and laid my head on his arm. I closed my eyes and readjusted myself. "Goodnight Daryl." I said. He muttered a goodnight as we both fell asleep listening to the sounds of the wilderness outside our tents.

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AN: Thanks for the reviews! It means a lot. I decided to get this chappy out before the new episode comes on tonight! :)


	20. Chapter 20

I opened my eyes to hear birds chirping and the sound of the campfire crackling. I looked around the tent to see that it was just me in there. I let out a sigh and pulled myself up, careful of my side. I reached across the tent to grab my bag of clothes. I threw my clothes off and put on a green t-shirt that fit me like a glove. I kept my shorts on because all my other ones were being 'washed'. Lord knows how long that would take. I threw on my converse, stretched, and walked out of the tent, yawning and taking in the scent of the morning air. It smelled lovely.

I looked around and saw no one in sight. I looked out to the horizon and saw the trees swaying back and forth due to the light breeze that was picking up. I listened to hear the birds chirping and the occasional ding of the wind chimes crashing against each other. Ever since I was little, I had a fascination with wind chimes. They were music to my ears. Plus, mom had two or three hanging around the house, until eventually they all got knocked down from dad.

My eyes ventured to the sun to see what time it was. It was nearing noon, judging by my eyes. _Had I really slept that long? I never knew fights could take so much out of you. Fighting. Everyday people fight just to survive. I had to do it before, alone, and now even baby Sophia's out there. SOPHIA! _I was supposed to go with Daryl today! _Dammit! _I cursed inside my head and took off towards the farmhouse. I had to see Hershel so I could get a horse and go out looking for her. _How could I be so stupid and sleep in? In all my years of working as a surgeon, I was only late once! And that's cause there was a wreck with me in the car right behind it!_

I was practically running to the farmhouse whenever I heard a voice near the barn call out, " Shane, we're not leaving Sophia behind!" I skidded to a stop and looked over to see mostly everyone huddled around the barn with grim looks on their faces. I ran over as fast as I could. "Man, ya don't know what the hell yer talkin' bout!" I heard Daryl scream as I approached the group. There was a commotion as I walked up behind the group. "Lemme tell you somethin'. If she saw ya comin' all methed out with your geeks ears, she'd turn the opposite direction and run!" I heard Shane yell at Daryl.

Both Daryl and I came at different sides of Curly, making my presence known to the whole group. Rick easily had us pulled off. Curly kept on yelling at Lori before he finally huffed, and threw back, "What are we gonna do Rick?!" he said. "Let me talk to Hershel, this is his land! If we're gonna clear this barn, it has to be through him!" Rick yelled back. _Cleared? What the hell's he talking bout? Clearing? _I had a quizzical look, before I caught Daryl's eye across from me. He gave me a look that just said later, so I nodded. "Hershel see's those things in there as people, sick people. His wife, his stepson. Others. By the way, nice of you to join, sweetheart." I heard Dale say.

_Sick people? There's no way. Walker's. _I nodded my head and ushered the others to continue on. "You knew!" I heard someone yell out. "And you didn't tell us!" Curly yelled back. Dale took no hesitation in saying, "I thought we could wait out the night, and we did." _What the fuck was going on here?! _Everyone's voices became more panicked and louder. If walkers were in the barn, they were gonna have to be quiet sometime soon. "Guys, maybe you shouldn't yell. Attract the walkers even more." I said.

"You knew about them too!" Curly said shocked. "No, I didn't. Just put two and two together, Shane." I said, his name rolling off my tongue weird. They all continued yelling and shouting even more before we heard a rattling noise. We looked at the doors to see them shaking, and almost coming off of the handle. We all were taken back and started moving away from the doors. I moved the farthest, going close to Daryl. "Maybe ya should have listened to me for once Curly." I said, walking back to the campfire. I knew Carol and Daryl were following me. However, whenever I turned around I wasn't expecting to see them standing so close to each other.

"Got any food left over Carol. Need somethin' if I'ma be out and lookin' for yer girl. By the way, ya seen Cheyenne and Paden." I said as I sat down on a log that had a washrag sitting on it. "Uh, there's a little food left. Cheyenne and Paden made a run into town, if I'm not mistaken." she said quietly. _Such an attitude change from the last time I saw her. _"Another question if ya don't mind. What do ya think caused her go to go out in the woods. Sophia's a smart girl, she wouldn't just get up and go lookin'. There has to be somethin', am I right?" I said, mulling my thoughts out loud.

I didn't get an answer, but instead had a plate practically thrown into my hands. I just looked up to see her stalking off back to her tent. I scoffed and ate my food. "Food's goin' out of style, but damn woman, it ain't leavin' that fast." I heard Daryl say. "Why didn't ya wake me earlier." I said, grumpily. "Ya needed sleep and I needed a piss. Things just got crazy and then ya decided to wake up." he said, still fuming from the confrontation with Curly. I just nodded my head and continued to eat whenever he sat down next to me. I ate in silence for a few minutes, noticing him staring at me.

I got up from my log, washed over to the tub of water and did my dishes. I pulled them out and laid them to dry before I took off toward the farmhouse. I heard Daryl's footsteps behind me before I abruptly turned around to see him a few yards from me. "Where ya goin'?" he asked. "Gonna ask Hershel for a horse, then take off and look for Sophia." I said. He nodded and turned back around towards the tent. I was just walking in the driveway whenever a car pulled into the driveway. I reached for my knife, but was met with air. I'd been walking weaponless this whole time, and no one bothered to mention it to me!

If it came down to it, I'd fight them, although I didn't want to. The car pulled to a stop a few yards in front of me and out popped Cheyenne and Paden. _Fuck. The two people who I want to see the most in this world. _They slammed the doors shut, and opened up the trunk. "Hey, Em. Why don't ya come over here and help us get these out? I mean ya should help cause you've been in bed all day." I just scoffed and continued to make my way to the door of the farmhouse. "Emily!" I heard Cheyenne call out before I felt her hand on my shoulder.

I grabbed her torso and flipped her onto the ground before she had a chance to do anything. "Listen to the words coming out of my mouth, ya hear me." I said. I was still standing above her, looking down into the sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, that I couldn't stand as a child. "Cheyenne, ya fucked with my life in more ways than I can count. Leave me the fuck alone, okay. I don't want ya here, but this ain't my land, it's Hershel's. But honey, trust me, if I want ya off of this land, I can do it in a heartbeat. Don't make me do that, mmk?" I said growling at her face. She just nodded and then smiled.

_What the hell is this bitch smiling for? Has she gone fully crazy? _She released her smile before moving her leg, and swiping hers with the back of mine. As soon as I felt the ground connect with my back, I swiveled myself on top of her and began punching her. I didn't care where I hit, I just wanted to hit something. She took the punches and tried her hardest to fight back, but because of her short arms pinned underneath my legs, she was having a hard time. She did however, use her leg strength and flip me over. I wriggled out from underneath her and stood up as did she. We stood still for a few seconds before I leg swiped her and was down on the ground again. I pinned her arms underneath my legs and I screamed in her face.

"Enough is enough. Ya need to back the fuck up off me, ya hear! I'm getting' real tired of yer shit, Cheyenne! Yer not gonna do this to my group. MY group! They're my family now! They ain't gonna betray me like what you did! Now, what yer gonna do is get up, clean yerself and yer gonna go back to yet tent and stay there until its supper time or somethin' else happens, got that?" I said, finishing my rant.

She looked up at me with teats threatening to fall out of her eyes any moment. She nodded her head as I flung her hands out from under me and I stood up, backing myself off of her, careful to not be leg swiped again. I dusted off my pants and turned my back before I heard a clapping. I turned back around to see Cheyenne getting up off the ground and Curly standing there, clapping his hands. "Damn girl, if I knew ya were that good fighting I'da taken ya out on some runs." he said with a huge smile on his face.

"No thanks, Shane." It still felt weird to say his name. "I'm not one fer going on runs, I'll leave that up to you and Glenn and whoever else goes. I'd rather go find supper and look fer a little girl. Now if ya don't mind." I said, kicking up dust whenever I turned. "Hey, Em!" I heard him run up behind me. "What do ya want?" I said, shaking my head. _Seriously people, I had a child to find here! _"I'm just saying, I know ya wanna look for Sophia, but it's been more than 48 hours. Ya know what that means." he said, looking into my eyes. I looked away quickly and focused on the trees in the background.

"Shane. I appreciate ya bein' concerned just cause ya like to look at my ass, but there's a little girl out in those woods right now. I'd appreciate it if ya'd let me do my job and find that little girl, and bring her back here to Carol so she'd stop bitchin' and givin' me the stink eye. I ain't in the mood to deal with this Shane." I said, finishing and walking to the house. Hershel and Rick practically ran me over, leaving the house. It sounded like they were having an argument so I decided to not intervene and just walked over to the stables. "Emily." I heard. I looked behind me to see Cheyenne behind me.

"I'm sorry. You're right, but I know it's not gonna change anything. I just thought I would do what I was used to." she said. I nodded my head and agreed. "Yes, it ain't gonna change anythin', but I'm glad ya realize what was wrong. Still don't effect my decision on me beating yer ass." I said, and walked away. I walked in the opening of the door and saw Carol talking to Daryl. "Why don't ya leave me be!" he said. I skidded behind the door, thankful the both of them hadn't noticed me.

I couldn't make out what exactly they were saying, so I just leaned my head in a bit, still unnoticed by the two. "Daryl, you've done more for her these past days then her daddy's ever done in his life." I nodded my head, unsurprised at what she had said. Ed was an asshole, there wasn't a shocker there. "Daryl, your special." Carol continued. I pulled back from the conversation, not wanting to hear anything more. I didn't want to have to hear them talk about feelings. I walked off and was just about to the driveway whenever I heard Daryl holler from the stable and saw Carol walk out. I just shook my head and took off to my silent spot down by the spring.

Before I got to the spring, I stopped by the tent and grabbed my knife and tucked it in my belt loop and covered it with my shirt. _There. I felt safer now. _I took off in the direction of the spring, completely forgetting my mission about Sophia. As soon as the spring came into sight I took off my shoes and laid back, my feet feeling the soft grass underneath them. _I missed this._ Back home, I'd always walk around barefoot, no matter what season. I closed my eyes and inhaled through my nose smelling all scents I could take in. I laid silent for a moment before sleep overcame me, and I went spiraling to my dreams.

I woke with a start as I heard yelling. I quickly got up and threw my shoes on, not missing a beat. I turned the corner to see Shane passing out guns near the porch while Maggie shouted, "Don't do this! My dad will make you leave the farm tonight!" she said. He didn't even acknowledge her and continued passing out the guns. By the time I reached the group, Shane was making a straight line to the door of the barn. I was extremely confused, but no one paid me any attention and followed right after him. I stood still for a second, trying to understand what was going on. I looked down at the barn and saw Hershel and Rick both have a walker on the end of a tether stick. I ran as quickly as I could to meet the group. "Now, enough is enough! If y'all wanna live, if y'all wanna survive, you gotta fight for it! Right here, right now!" I heard Shane scream out as I skidded to a stop next to Daryl. He cast me a glance and I threw one back at him.

We looked up just in time to see Shane take a pick ax to one the barn doors. I let out a gasp as I felt Daryl push me behind him. I noticed the shotgun in his hands, and a gun in everyone else's. _They were going to kill all the walkers in the barn. I hope this is what Hershel wants. _I slid behind Daryl as I heard the first one move around inside. He looked at me with a questioning look on his face on whether he should or not. I was stuck. I loved Hershel and I wanted to be on this land, but they were walkers. They needed to be taken out. I saw Glenn do the same thing to her and she nodded her head, slowly but surely.

I looked back to Daryl and nodded my head, just as the first one stumbled out. Guns began firing, one right after the next, hitting walkers left and right. My eyes clouded trying to make sense of all the sights that was going on. My family was shooting walkers out of a man's barn although he thinks they're just sick. Hershel was on his knees, tears and shock on his face. I crossed my arms and rubbed my hands up and down, although I wasn't cold, and thought of the people that the walker thingys once were. There was women and men. Probably mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunt, or uncle. Someone in there, once mattered to someone. All at once, the guns stopped and all you could hear was the wind blowing. I uncrossed my arms and brought my hands to my face and rubbed it.

All was silent until there was a small growl from inside the barn. Everyone popped their guns back in

position to shoot whenever I saw a very familiar sneaker pop out from under the door. My eyes rose to meet the face of poor baby Sophia, in walker form. Before I could register anything, my knees hit the hard dirt and my hands tried to balance me. I lost my balance and wound up falling completely on the ground. I was numb. Completely numb. That was baby Sophia.

My eyes clouded with tears as I heard Carol scream out, "Sophia!" I got on my feet quickly to stop her, and as soon as she came close enough, I tried to grab her, but I felt a sharp pain in my eye as I was thrown backwards onto the ground. I gasped for air and held my side as I saw Daryl enclose Carol in his arms, stopping her from running to Sophia. I continued to grasp for air whenever I saw Rick walk forward. I got up off of the ground after numerous attempts and stood still for a second, getting my balance back.

I looked over to see Carol sobbing on the ground, clutching for Sophia and Daryl muttering in her ear. I turned away and looked at Sophia one last time before Rick delivered the fatal shot to her head. Carol quickly got up from Daryl's arms and threw him off and ran away. I staggered over to Sophia and dropped to my knees. I gave her a look over and noticed the huge whole that had been torn from her shoulder. _Must've snuck up on her from behind._

I got up off my knees and walked into the barn and grabbed a blanket. I walked over to Sophia and dropped on my knees once again. I laid the blanket over her body and muttered "Goodnight angel." before I got up and stalked past Daryl without a word.

"Em!" I heard him call out. I turned around so swiftly and fast, he wasn't expecting it and was taken aback. "What. Do. You. Want." I said through gritted teeth. He looked shocked but replaced it with the same blank face he normally had. "Are you okay?" he said, caring. "No, I'm not fuckin' okay! Just leave me be!" I said, throwing away his hand that had come close to my arm. "I went lookin' for that little girl every single day, and she just had to get put down! No, I'm not okay! I just can't do this! It's too much! Leave me alone for a while!" I said, tears pooling.

Daryl looked shocked and appalled, but he nodded and stalked off in another direction. I walked to the base of the camp and looked to Carol's tent. This was going to be a terrible day.

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AN: I want to thank everyone that reviewed! It means a lot to me, it really does! :) Here's a new chapter for ya.


	21. Chapter 21

My eyes fluttered around the farm and saw no one. _Sophia was gone. Forever. She would never make it back to our arms, ever again. I'd never see her again, or touch her hair. Neither would Carol._ My feet started moving as I headed to the treeline. I needed to get out of here, somewhere I could take a breath and settle in my thoughts. I didn't think of where I was going, as I let my feet take me to the spring I'd grown to love.

I laid down on the dock and stared at the sky. _Round one- two o'clock. _Even after everything that had happened today, it was seriously only two o'clock? My thoughts went to Sophia and Daryl as I stared out into the treeline surrounding the farm. Both of us risked our lives for that little girl, and here she is, dead. I'd have no more hugs, or "Are you okay Emily?" from her sweet voice ever again. Tears clouded my eyes as I washed them away. I wouldn't cry anymore. Hell, I hated crying, but it seems like here I am crying all the time now. I let out a shaky breath as I pulled myself up and got in a standing position.

I took off my shoes and socks and flung them on the dock as I stepped down into the slightly cold water. I let out a hiss as I started to wade up and down the cool spring. I missed this feeling. _"Hey, Emily!" I heard Paige call out as she waded up and down the creek bed. "What darlin'?" I hollered back to her. "Are there snakes down here?" she asked. "More than likely on the other side. Just stay over here, and you'll be fine!" I said, taking a sip of cold beer. She practically all but ran to the side with no snakes and continued to talk to her friends."Ya know, she reminds me of her mom more than anyone else I know." Lacey said. "Hell yeah she does." I said as I took another sip before sitting it in the rocks on the creek bed. _

"_I love this place." I said, as I flipped my hair over my shoulder. "Nothin' beats a good creek. Reminds me of back home. There was this one place called Chevy Bluff that had the biggest bluff I've ever jumped off of. Hit the water so hard, you bruised." I said, chuckling at the memory. Lacey let out a roaring laugh before asking, "Why the hell they name it Chevy Bluff?" I chuckled and said, "If ya was a shitty Ford, there was no way in hell, ya were getting out of there! Chevy's the way to go!" She just laughed and turned her attention to Paige swimming in the creek. _

"God, I miss them." I muttered out loud as I caught sight of the birds flying through the air. "Talkin' to yerself's a bad habit, Em." I heard from behind me. Before I even turned around, I knew that voice. "Not not Daryl." I said as continued to wade through the spring. "Yer gonna have pruny feet, cause mine are getting there." he said. "Don't care, did it all the time in my old life. Drank a cold beer while I did it." He let out a soft chuckle as I turned around. "Why ya here, Daryl? I'm perfectly fine. See?" I said while moving my arms and legs simultaneously. "Yer not fine. It's in yer face." he said.

I saw red before I started screaming, "Daryl it's not fair! We both tried so hard and we got so far! But in the end it didn't even fucking matter! I loved that little girl, and she's DEAD! She has a fucking bullet in her brain right now cause we couldn't find her! Lord knows why she went off by herself, or whatever the fuck happened! Shane was right, she was dead. I didn't want to believe him but he was right! And now here we are, about to get kicked off this farm cause Curly had to go fucking crazy and kill them all!" I said all in one breath.

"Woah now." he said, "Don't get yer panties in a twist! I loved that little girl too! And don't you dare fucking say that son uva' bitch is right! He won't ever be in my book! We had hope that she was alive! But yes, he's fucking crazy!" he said, coming closer to me until we were just noses apart. I took a breath and let my head fall. _I had gone mad for a second. We had had hope that she was alive. Never loose the hope. _I shook my head and brushed past him to go to the dock. He quickly caught up with me and grabbed my arms, flinging me backwards. I let out a gasp as he looked down at me. "Yer eyes are beautiful. Why do I always see them with sadness?" he said, quietly. I looked down at the water passing through our feet and let out a long sigh. "This world." I started, "is just completely fucked isn't it? I mean we go days eating until we're full, and then somethin' happens. Never fails." I said as I looked past Daryl and into the tree line. He took my hand in his as he pulled my attention back to him.

"I know. We never can catch a break, but hey. I'm here with ya, ya know that." he said taking his finger and placed them on the underside of my chin, pulling my face to an angle. "Come on. We're gonna bury Sophia, and I think Rick wants ya ta speak." I nodded and looked down at my feet again. "Em, look at me." he said, quietly. I looked up at the beautiful eyes I loved. I cleared my throat and took my hand from his and started to make my way to the dock. He quickly followed behind me and grabbed my hand once again. I let out a small smile and continued walking.

We came upon the dock as the sun was settling in the sky around three o'clock. _Only one hour had passed. Could the day get any worse? _I let out a small yelp as I felt Daryl lift me up and on to the dock. He positioned himself between my legs and rubbed small circles on my knee. I leaned back on my hands and grabbed my socks and shoes and put them on. I stood and helped Daryl climb onto the dock as for his side was still badly bruised. He never let go of my hand as we both made our way back to camp after he put his shoes on. We walked in silence for a few moments before I cleared my throat.

"Daryl?" I uttered quietly. "Yeah, Em?" he said back. "Thank you. Fer everything, I really do thank you." I said as I broke off for our tent was in sight. I walked in the tent and quickly changed into clothes more appropriate for what we were getting ready to do. I pulled out a black lace shirt and black shorts from my bag and pulled my boots on just as he was entering the tent. "Come on, Em. Let's get going." he said offering out his hand.

I quickly took it and exited the tent. He let go as soon as I got up, and instantly I missed the warmth his hand gave. "Fer a woman, ya get dressed so damn fast." he said underneath his breath. I sadly smiled as I thought about what I was fixing to do. _I was mourning the loss of baby Sophia. My baby Sophia. _I walked up to the camp to see mostly everyone walking down to the small set of trees. Mostly everyone had gathered around.

I took a deep breath and walked as slow as I could until I reached my broken family. I stood next to Dale, Daryl following up behind me to stand on my left. Dale looked at me with sadness on his face that I couldn't bear to swallow. He loved Sophia more than anyone here. He always checked on her, sat with her whenever I couldn't. Whatever Sophia wanted, Dale was sure enough to do for her. I gave him a strong hug as I whispered, "She's in a better place. It'll be what she wants." He just nodded and let loose of the hug.

I looked and saw everyone, except for Carol standing there. _What the fuck was she not doing here? This is her daughter for crying out loud! Even if my daughter was walker or not, you can best bet that my ass would be standing here, mourning the loss of her. _Daryl cleared his throat as Hershel and Maggie slowly approached the group, clearly having lost the most at the time. There was Hershel's wife, Maggie's step brother, family. People that meant something to them, and we shot them down. I didn't want to think badly of what we had done, but we had to take them out. Clear the barn, otherwise we wouldn't have felt safe.

Hershel started the funeral as we all looked upon the bodies of whom we loved. I mostly tuned everything out that he said until I heard Hershel call out my name. "If you would, Emily, please say a few kind words about Sophia, we'll wrap the funeral and begin to mourn our losses." I stepped forward as I felt everyone's eyes go upon me. I shivered slightly as I let out a shaky breath. I cleared my throat and began. "Sophia was a doll. She always worried about everyone and never about herself. She used to always ask me to play go fish with her and Carl." I looked over at Carl to see him holding back tears. "She always had the most polite manners of anyone I've met, not to mention how she ate." I let out a chuckle as did everyone else. "She always ate her food so special. That little girl had an excellent head on her shoulders and she always knew what do. I just wonder what made her run off, or what happened." I said as I looked over at Daryl.

He nodded switched his crossbow to his other arm. _I need to start carrying my bow more often. _"Sophia was an angel in real life, and I bet right now she's talking to someone and telling them all about us. We'll meet her one day." I said as I retreated back to my spot in between Daryl and Dale. "Beautiful," I heard Dale whisper. Hershel closed the services and everyone but Daryl and I walked off.

"Damn, ya know how ta give a speech." he said. "Had to. Plus, I speak nothin' but tha truth. That little girl is fuckin' special." I said as I let out a sigh. I looked up to the sky to check the time once again. "Round five o'clock." Daryl said. "Yep, come on, I'm goin' to bed. Gonna come with or check things out some?" I said. "Nah, I think I'll just follow ya. Like ya more than everyone else here." We both blushed as we walked back to our tent. "Where's Cheyenne and Paden at?" I said, lookin' around.

"They didn't feel like intrudin' so they went somewhere. Don't really care 'bout them, honestly." he said. I just nodded and opened up the flap. I was just about to get in the tent whenever I saw a glint of the sunlight hitting something metal. I straightened up and looked to the woods where I saw the glint. "Ya see that?" I asked Daryl. "See what?" he questioned back. "Thought I saw a glint of somethin' in the woods. There ain't nothin' metal out there is there? Maybe I just need sleep." I said as I stepped into the tent. "We both need sleep, come on." he said as he made his way in as I got comfy.

I leaned across the tent and grabbed my mom's picture. He gently took it from me and said, "Tomorrow we'll do it. Promise." I nodded and took my shoes off. I got inside the sleeping bags and got comfortable. I felt Daryl slide in beside me as I lifted up my head. He snaked his arm under my head and the other across my stomach. I sighed as I closed my eyes. "We both loved that little girl more than anythin', and now she's gone. It's hard to stomach it. But we'll get over it. We'll be fine." he said aloud, trying to convince us both it would be okay.

"It'll be fine, I guess." I said. "Let's just go to sleep." I said as I flipped my body to face his chest. I traced my fingers over his chest and wished he would've taken his shirt off. I traced the patterns on his shirt before I felt his stifle a giggle. "Ticklish?" I said. He nodded no, so I decided to touch the area above his rib a little bit more. He jumped about ten feet and yelled for me to stop it. "Okay, okay! I promise I won't do it anymore. Promise." I said, holding out my pinky.

He took his pinky in mine as we both laid back down on the pillows. "Might as well go to sleep, Dare." I said, yawning. "Had a long day." He nodded and kissed my forehead. "Night Em." he said. "Goodnight Daryl. Let's go huntin' in the mornin'. Need some food." He just nodded and kissed my forehead once again. "Goodnight." We both closed our eyes and inhaled each others scents. I smelt pine needles and instantly felt safe. We both laid in silence for a few minutes before I let sleep overcome me.

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A/N: I am so sorry for the late update. I've been oh so busy with dance and the Saint Patty's Day parade! But hopefully now I'll be able to get more out! I love all you guys! Kisses


	22. Chapter 22

My eyes fluttered open as I heard the sounds of twigs breaking. I looked over to Daryl to see him still sound asleep, muttering incoherent sentences. I threw on a pair of cut off blue jean shorts and a navy blue tanktop as fast as I could, trying to not wake Daryl up in the process. I quickly grabbed a pair of socks and slipped on my cowboy boots. I tucked my knife in my boot and stuck Daryl's pistol in the back of my shorts. I grabbed my bow and quivers and continued to listen to the sounds outside of the tent. They presumed even after I ceased all my actions.

I slowly undid the zipper tent and stuck a foot outside of the tent. I snaked out of the tent as quietly as I could and did the zipper back up. I looked around at the sky, the sun not even risen yet. There was a chilly breeze in the air as I gripped my hand on my bow tightly. I sneakily walked around the edge of the tent only for a gruff voice to stop me. "Girl, s'just me. Lower your bow." Curly said. I let out a grunt and released a sigh. "What the hell ya doin' up so early, and keep yer voice low. Some people are still sleepin'!" I said at once.

Shane looked around once or twice before letting out a mumbled 'nothing'. I shook my head and looked to the top of the RV to see Glenn almost falling asleep. I turned on my heel and started walking towards the RV whenever I heard Shane call out my name. "What ya want?" I said, stopping and turning. "Come with me." he said, placing his hands on his hips. "Rather not. Got shit to do." I said, turning and continuing to walk in the other direction. He easily caught up with my and grabbed my hand. I slapped his hand off and said, "What do you want Shane?" "You." I was confused for a second before he repeated himself. "I want you." I just scoffed and continued to walk towards the tent.

He easily caught up with me just as fast as the first time. He stopped me and stood in front of me, not letting me pass. "Look, Em. Ya can protect yourself, you're not bad looking. Seems to me like you know what you want in life. Am I right?" he said, looking down and putting his hands on his hips. I blinked for a couple of seconds, getting control of my thoughts. "Am I right?" he said, once again. I shook my head as I tried to get control of the situation. "Look, Shane." I started, letting out a sigh. "I don't like ya that way. Plus, just because I can take care of myself doesn't mean anythin'. How do ya know I ain't fallin' apart right now?" I said.

He just scoffed and looked at the ground. "Lemme tell you somethin'. Why don't the both of us just take off, hmm? That way we can see how good we do together?" I just let out a laugh, "No Shane, I ain't leavin' these people. Life ain't what it used to be, remember. I can't just up and leave these people. They're my family for Christ's sake, Shane!" I said, placing my hands on my hips. "These people, they're good. That's what I'm here for Shane, but now they're also my family. I ain't leaving." I finished, side stepping him and resuming my strides to the RV.

"One day you're gonna wish ya left with me!" he hollered down my way. I flipped him off and continued walking. I quietly walked up the steps of the RV and made my way on the roof. "Hey, Glenn." I said, sitting down on the striped lawn chair opposite him. "Hey, Emily." he muttered back with a yawn. "Why don't ya go get some sleep, ya look pretty tired." I said, popping my back and standing up. "Ya sure?" Glenn said. "Yeah, I mean, yesterday was rough. Even I didn't get sleep." I said, while slumping my shoulders.

"Yeah, it was. Thanks Emily." he said, as he started off down the ladder. "Hey!" I hollered down at him. His black hair and baseball cap peaked up. "Yeah?" he asked. "You and Maggie tap yet?" I said with a sly smirk. _I'd seen the way they had looked at each other when no one thought anyone else was looking. They were adorable. I don't know how Hershel felt about it though. Probably not to good, I imagine?_

His face turned an vibrant color of red before he shook his head no. "Please, that's bullshit. Was it good?" I asked, emitting a chuckle. Glenn's face turned even more red and he let out a laugh and said yes, before disappearing to his tent. I let out another chuckle and set down my bow and grabbed the rifle instead. My arms quickly adjusted to the weight as my eyes scanned the treeline for any movements. For an hour or so the sky was beginning to lighten so I sat down on the lawn chair and looked down at the gun. _Ruger M77 Hawkeye Bolt Action Rifle. Dad had one of these in the cabinet back at home. _

"_Emily!" my dad said from his bedroom. I walked across the kitchen floor and into his bedroom. I knocked on his door before letting myself in. "Yes, Dad?" I asked while looking around the room. "Go get me the gun cleaning kit." I inwardly sighed and walked into Mom's closet and grabbed it from the top shelf and brought it to him. "Sit down." he ordered. I sat down on the floor at his feet as he cleaned the gun. "Today, you're gonna learn bout guns." he said. I nodded my head, thanked God he was in a good mood and looked at the gun. "This here, is your standard glock 17. Shoots good, but I don't like it. He picked up another similar handgun. This is a 9mm. Very good gun."_

_My eyes scanned over the various guns familiarizing myself with each one to notice the differences. "This is my favorite," he said as he pulled out. My eyes lit up as I looked at the finish that was placed on the wood gun. It was beautiful. "This is a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon Over and Under." He reached for the kit as I handed it to him and he started cleaning it. "You want to learn how to shoot this thing?" he said as he noticed me looking at the gun. "Yes, I do Dad." I said, standing up. "Okay. Well go get the other gun in the cabinet."_

_I walked over to the cabinet and pulled the gun out. "This here is a Ruger M77 Hawkeye Bolt Action Rifle. It belonged to your grandad. Shoot that first and then take the Over and Under for a shoot. Come on, let's go." I quickly walked behind him and slipped my boots on and grabbed the shells from the hall closet before making my way outside. Dad already had the John Deere gator moved around to the front of the house, waiting for me. I hopped on and we sped off to the range. _

_After hours of shooting, my thirteen year old arm had had enough. "Dad are you hungry?" I asked as I watched him down the last of his fifth beer. "Yeah, come on,let's go back to the house. You drive." He said as he tossed me the keys. I unloaded the guns and put them back in the tail-bed of the gator before I walked to the driver's side and got on. He slowly climbed on as I took off towards the house. Today was a good day, but all because I didn't get a beating. _My eyes returned to the camp, seeing as how the sun was about half way up. I looked towards the tents and spotted movement. I saw Rick and Lori's tent unzip open as Lori stepped outside.

She walked over to a tree and began throwing up. _Why was she throwing up? Hell, what was she throwing up? I didn't even see her eat last night. _I shook my head and saw Carol's tent move as well. She got up and walked over to the fire and began picking at it to make the embers grow. She took a pan and placed it on the metal grate and began to cook some eggs that Lori had brought to her. Daryl's tent was beginning to move as I thought of him waking up in the morning. I'd never seen it, but one day I hope I would. I shook my head as Dale climbed up to the top of the RV.

"Morning, Emily." Dale said with a bright smile on his face. "Mornin'." I replied back, now taking in the sight of Daryl coming out of the tent, frantically searching for something. His eyes met mine on top of the RV, and I saw him instantly relax. He walked back into the tent and grab his crossbow. His eyes met mine and he titled his head to the woods. I nodded and held up a finger. "Well, Dale, are you gonna take watch? Daryl and I have to go huntin' today." He just smiled at me and told me to quickly go. I handed him the rifle, pecked his cheek, and grabbed my bow. "Thanks Dale." I said, as I practically jumped down the RV. I was walking towards the treeline whenever I was caught by Lori. "Hey. Where are you going?" I looked over to Daryl, impatiently waiting. "We're going to hunt. Be back by noon." I said. She nodded and looked at me with a strange look on her face. "Something's up with her and Dixon." I heard her tell Carol as I ran to Daryl.

"Mornin'." I said, with a bright smile, facing the trees. I looked over to Daryl who was giving me an odd look. "Someone piss in yer cheerios this mornin'?" I said with a slight chuckle, expecting some smart ass answer. Instead I got greeted with a scoff and as soon as I came up on him, he was off walking towards the trees. I pouted and chased up to catch him. We both walked into the forest, me trailing behind him. I watched his mannerisms long enough to know that he wasn't hunting. He was just looking around. _Maybe if I catch him off guard he'd tell me what was wrong with him._

I shortened the distance between us as I put my plan in motion. I quickly walked in front of him, but as soon as I did, I felt my back hit against bark as I swung my leg around his that wound both of us up on the forest floor. My back hit the floor as Daryl hovered above me, his breath hitting me square in the face. I let out a playful chuckle, "Well, well Daryl. If ya wanted to do this, all ya had to do was ask." I said, smirking. He let out a grunt as he lowered his face even more to where our noses were touching. I closed the gap between us as he let out a grunt.

We kissed for a few minutes before the both of us were out of breath. "Grunt some more like that and I ain't gon be able to get up off this floor," I said as I flipped us over. He let out another grunt as his hips bucked into mine. "As much as I would like this to continue, we gotta hunt Dare." I said, pouting. He let out a sigh and said, "Yer right Em. But still, I heard ya and Shane this morning." he said. I nodded and muttered asshole under my breath. I got off of him and lended him a hand. He grabbed my hand and pulled himself up.

As soon as he got up, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, "Let's go huntin' Em." I picked up my bow and quivers and slung them over my shoulder. Daryl did the same, but brought his bow to the ground, ready to pull up at any moment. As soon as I pulled my bow up, the both of us went into hunting mode. We both bagged squirrels until I saw a brown movement off in the distance. I touched Daryl's shoulder, him looking at the same place. He pointed for me to go around and him to take the other side. I went to the side to see a ten point buck standing still, eating off of the ground.

I looked to the other side to see Daryl holding up three fingers. He mouthed 'On three aim for the heart'. I nodded, signaling I understand. I raised my bow grabbing a quiver and placed it in the bow. _Three, two, one, _his mouth signaled. At the notion of one, we both released arrows, both of them hitting the deer in the heart. The buck fell over and squirmed on the ground before I ran over and plunged my hunting knife in the deer's brain. Daryl looked at me with shock. "Better than slicin' the throat. I know panic attracts walkers, so I'm damn sure blood does." He just nodded and walked over to me. He gave me a kiss and I kissed back.

We both leaned down and grabbed ahold of the rack and began dragging the buck back to the house. "Ya got any rope on ya?" he said, dropping the deer and reaching into my backpack on my side. "Sure nough." I said, as he found it. We basically hog tied the deer and wrapped the rope around out hands to drag the deer by the rope. We cleared the treeline and drug in half way into the camp whenever Rick and Glenn ran up to us, helping. "Thanks, guys." I said as we placed the deer next to one of the picnic tables. "Gonna help gut it now?" I asked with a smile. Both men grimaced and shook their heads before walking into the house.

I took Daryl's hunting knife off his hip and walked over to the deer, placing myself atop it's stomach. "Ya done this 'fore?" Daryl asked, smirking. "Since I's five." I said, looking up smiling at him. He nodded and moved the hind legs back ready for me to cut through. I plunged the knife through, making a straight down the fur. I gripped the sides of the fur before I looked up. "Think they'll want some to keep warm this winter with?" I asked. He nodded and said, "Prolly. Just make sure that there's some left over fer us."

I nodded and continued to cut the fur off around the stomach. I heard Carl's footsteps come up behind me. "Ewww. That's so gross." he said. I laughed and turned to face him while still on the deer. "Hey bud!" I said. "It beats squirrel! Ya ever had deer?" Daryl asked him. "Nah."he just replied back. After a few minutes of just sitting there, he got up and left. "Dumb kid don't know to stay in the house like his Mom tells him." Daryl said as I finally got finished with the fur. "True, but now here comes the fun part." I said, laughing. "Ya serious?" he said. "Nah, the grossest." I just shook my head and reached into the deer, pulling out the guts and the bag.

I heard someone get sick from behind me. I looked back to see Cheyenne and Lori both huddled over, puking. "Wow." I muttered under my breath. I heard a chuckle as I saw Daryl's hands reach down into the deer to grab something out. The ladies behind us continued to gag and retch, so I quickly turned around. "This is about to get nastier. Go away if ya can't handle it, please." I said, with a quick huff. "It ain't gonna get nastier?" Daryl said with a hushed, confused whisper. "Just said it so they'll leave." I whispered. He just nodded as I reached my arm up in the carcass and drug out the last pieces. "I'll let you do the rest if that's alright?" I said. He immediately nodded and told me to go wash up.

I walked down to my favorite place to think. I lowered my hands into the water and cleaned them off. Then I went to my arms and even my legs. I cleared my face quickly made my way back into camp. I looked over to see Daryl still working on the deer we'd bagged earlier. "Hey Emily!" I heard Lori call out. I took my eyes off Daryl and looked at her. She looked different. My eyes ran up and down her as she put her hand on her stomach. My face contorted into a look of confusion as she asked, "Do you know where Hershel is?" I shook my head no, and asked, "S'there anythin' ya wanna talk bout Lori?"

She looked shocked but quickly changed her face to confusion. "What do you mean, Emily?" "Nothin', Lori. Just are you pregnant?" I said, finally placing all the pieces together. _Puking, covering her stomach, not eating certain things, refusing alcohol. _She was quickly shocked and said, "Please, keep it a secret. Don't even tell Rick!" I nodded my head yes and took off towards Daryl. "How's the work comin' redneck?" I said as I plopped down on the ground beside the deer. "Just fine, woman." he said, smirking.

"Hey, later today remind me to tell ya bout somethin' involving house wife over there." I said, my eyes flickerin' to Lori washing dishes. "Alright. Hey, can ya go in the house and ask if they got some salt. Make jerky out of this." he said, eying all the meet that came from the deer. "Sure thing." I said, standing up and wiping off my pants. I made my way to the door whenever I saw Rick and Glenn panicked. "What's goin' on?" I heard Daryl say from behind me. "Hershel's gone missing. According to Maggie, he should be at the tavern in town. Emily would you mind comin' with us. I know he likes you." Rick said.

"Uh, I guess so. I don't see how the hell I'll make a difference, but sure." I said, looking at Daryl. He nodded and walked into the house to ask for some salt. "Lemme go get my bow and knife and I'll be back 'fore ya know it." I said. Rick nodded as he went to say goodbye to Lori and Carl. I grabbed my things fast and walked in the house to see Daryl standing there looking out the door. I wrapped my hands around him from behind as he spun around and kissed me hard. I kissed him back hard and broke apart from him. "Promise I'll be safe." I said as I was released from his arms and walked back outside. Rick, Glenn and I was just about to leave whenever Cheyenne and Paden came running up. "We wanna go too." was all they said. Rick let them in and they jumped in the backseat with me. I inwardly sighed as we made our way into town. We parked the car and got out as quietly as we could.

I had my back turned the circle we had formed as I watched for any movement of walkers. Thankfully there was none as we walked into the bar, only to see Hershel downing a drink. "Hershel." I said. "Who's with you." he said. "Me, Rick, Glenn. Paden and Cheyenne's watchin' outside." I said, quietly. We all walked up to the bar to see him staring at the mirror off to the side. "How many have ya had, Hershel?" Rick asked. "Well, nowhere near enough." he answered back, quickly.

"Why don't we finish this back at home?" he started. "Beth collapsed and she's in some kinda state." _what the hell!? I'm a doctor for crying out loud and no one told me! I'd definitely pick a bone with them later. _"I think she must be in shock. You too. She needs you, Hershel." he said. "What could I do." he said, his accent flowing from the alcohol. "She needs her mother, or rather to mourn. Like what she should have a done weeks ago. I robbed her of that. I see that now." he said as he took another drink. "You thought there was a cure. You can't blame yourself for holding out hope Hershel." Rick said, trying to convince Hershel to move.

"Hope? When I first saw you with Emily and Carl and them being shot, I had little hope they'd survive. Even though we lost Otis, they survived. That proved that the miracles do exist. However, it was a sham. A bait and switch." he said. I looked at him, the sadness pooling off of him. "I was a fool, Rick. And your people saw that." he said as poured himself another glass. "Just go." he said. "I promised Maggie I'd bring you home safe. I mean what are you gonna do? Drink that bottle and leave your girls alone?" Rick said, angry.

"Stop telling me how to care for my girls, my farm. You people are like a plague. I do the Christian thing and you destroy it all!" he screamed at Rick. "Hershel, the world was in bad shape when we met." Rick tried to say. "And you take no responsibility! And you're their leader!" he said. "Well, he's here now." I spoke up as both men got quiet. "Yes, you are. I didn't want to believe you. That there was no cure. That these people were dead, not sick. I chose not to believe that. But when your man Shane shot Lou in the chest and she kept coming, that's when I knew what an ass I'd been. That Annette had been dead long ago and I was feedin' a rotten corpse!" he shouted.

"That's when I knew there was no hope." he said. I felt all the air rush out of me as I understood Hershel's pain. "And when that little girl came out of the barn, the look on your face, I knew you knew it too." _Ouch. _Those words hurt and hit the most. I loved Sophia. "Right? There is no hope, and you know it now. Like I do. Don't you?" he said. "There is no hope for any of us." he finished as he took another drink. He slammed the glass upside down whenever the door swung open. "Son of a bitch. Little ole Emily's still alive." I heard as I turned around to see the face of one of the men I'd never thought I'd see again.

"Hello, Em. Nice ta see ya sugar tits." Dave said. I let out a snarl as Dave introduced himself and his friend Tony. I walked to the corner of the room as I heard the men give out a bullshit story. "When I met Em here, and then she just up and left the group." he said. "Mhmm. Couldn't stand ta see yer face anymore. Speakin' of which, Paden and Cheyenne still outside?" I asked. "Nope. No one's outside." my face dropped as I looked outside only to see the two nowhere in sight. "Dammit!" I cursed as I walked back in only to see Tony pulling up on his gun. Before Dave could get a shot in as well, I fired pulling down Dave, with Rick taking down Tony. "The hell happened while I was gone!?" I said, raising my voice. "Looks like other things sides walkers is our threat now." Rick said as he holstered his gun and made his way outside. The rest of us followed, only to be stopped at the door by other men's voices calling out "Dave! Tony! We heard shots ya alright in there?" We all dropped the floor as I thought, "Oh shit, this can't get much worse."

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AN: Oh my gosh guys, I really tried to get this chapter to come out good, so I hope it meets your expectations. Please, leave me some reviews so I know if ya like it or not. Also, if you want some things to happen in here that doesn't happen in the show, PM me so I can add them in. I love you all! Kisses!3

-Hayley!


	23. Chapter 23

My back hit the wooden wall as I heard footsteps move outside the perimeter quickly, frantically searching. I heard someone going for the door and as soon as the doorknob turned, Glenn through his back against the door. "The hell?! Someone pushed it shut!" I heard a man say from outside. "Think there's more?" he said. "YO! Someone in there!" I heard a man with a northern accent holler out. "Yo, if someone's in there, we don't want no trouble! We're just lookin' for our friends." I let out a sigh, knowing we'd just killed them.

"We don't want any trouble," he said once again, louder. "Just lookin' for our friends. Look, if somethin' happened, just tell us. This place is crawlin' with corpses. If you help us not get killed, I'd appreciate it." he said, trying to get inside. There was a few whispers for a minute or two before I heard footsteps disperse. I looked to Rick to try to understand what we were about to do. "They drew on us!" Rick hollered out. Both Hershel and I hung our heads low, knowing that this would more than likely cost us. The footsteps returned as the same voice hollered out, "Dave and Tony in there? They alive?"

"No." Rick answered, firmly. The men whispered for a few seconds before trying to decide what to do. "Hey! They drew on us first. We didn't have a choice! I'm sure we've all lost enough people, done things we didn't have to, but- but it's like that now! So let's just chalk this up to what it was- wrong place, wrong-" before Rick could finish his sentence gunshots were being fired into the bar. Hershel and Glenn took off to the back room while Rick and I stayed in the front. We'd duck behind the pillars and shoot out of the front door glass every time we saw movement.

I felt a sting of pain as I lifted up my gun to shoot once again. I successfully managed to hit someone as the gunfire stopped. All was silent for a few minutes before Rick started negotiating with them again. _Good cop, bad cop. _I looked down at my arm to see a bullet scratch, just along the side. _Asshole shot me. _Glenn moved across the floor and went to check along the back as I reloaded my gun and took my quivers out of my pack. A single gunshot let out as all three of us ran together. "Alright, you cover Glenn, me and Emily will hold em here. Get him to drive round back. We'll make a dash and get the hell outta here." Rick said, as he made the plan.

"Alright. I can shoot, although I don't like to." Hershel said as we walked off. Rick and I walked to either side of the doors. Gunshots went off as Rick told me to stay still and he'd go check things out. _Thank god I'd brought Daryl's pistol. Without it, I'd be bring a knife to a gunfight. Hopefully he wouldn't be too upset that I took it. Hey, I'd say it was for better protection anyways. _I looked out to the window only to be met with the bright lights on a truck. I ducked as fast as I could, only to see a man holler out to one on a rooftop. "Come on! There's roamers everywhere! Come on, just jump!" _only an idiot would jump from a two story building onto the bed of a truck. Sure good way to get yourself killed._

My thoughts came to a pause whenever I saw the man jump down and get hung on a fence, just opposite the bar, his leg impaled by the bars. The young man let out a series of blood curling screams as the truck took off, leaving him in the dust behind. I threw open the bar doors and ran to the fence, meeting Rick at the same time. "We can't just leave him here!" I screamed out. "He was just shooting at us Emily!" Glenn hollered back. "He's just a kid!" Rick whispered back, loudly. I turned back to the kid looking at the leg impaled on the fence.

"It went clean through. We can't just take this out." I said, sofly. The kid's cries started up again as Rick hollered, "If you do not shut up now, I WILL shoot you." "Unfortunately, that may be the answer." Hershel said as he turned to face us. "We won't get that leg off without tearing the muscle to shreds, Rick." I said. "He definitely can't run, and he'd bleed out." Hershel said, finishing my sentence. "I don't want to see anymore killing, but this is cruel." Hershel said. "Guys, can't we just cut the leg off." Glenn said, obviously weary of the surroundings. "That hatchet still in the car?" I asked. The kid started screaming to not do it. "Is this good enough?" Rick asked me as he pulled out a pocket knife that was extremely sharp.

"I'll have to sever the ligaments below the kneecap and cut above the tibia. He's gonna loose his lower leg." I said, going into surgery mode. "We when get clear of here, we're gonna have to find some tinder, cauterize that wound so he doesn't bleed out." I said, taking Hershel's shirt and placing it under his leg. The kid started moving again as I grasped his leg. "Stop moving or I'll cut off more." He instantly stopped as I prepared myself. I had just wrapped a tourniquet around his leg whenever Glenn screamed out "Walkers! You're gonna have to do this fast!"

"God, they're everywhere," Rick said as he left the kid to shoot two walkers stumbling up from behind. "How we doin' Emily!" Rick hollered. "I need more hands!" I hollered back. More walkers fumbled towards us as we all grew more and more uneasy. "There's no time, come on Emily!" Glenn and Rick screamed. I stepped down off the fence and looked at the boy, sadness in my eyes. "No, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" he hollered at the top of his lungs. I couldn't leave him. I couldn't.

I looked at Rick as we both had the same idea in mind. I grabbed the lower half as he grabbed the top half, both of us pulling up as hard as we could, the boys piercing cries following us the whole time. We ran the boy into Hershel's truck going as fast as we could. Rick and I threw him in the backseat, me and Glenn placing ourselves on both sides of him. I took off my tanktop, thankful I'd put a cami underneath. I soaked up the blood as most as I could, hoping we would make it in time. Rick hopped in the drivers seat, spinning tires as we made our way back to the house.

My mind was racing as we barreled down the driveway, the house finally coming into view. I wiped my brow intending to wipe the sweat off, but just making it mixed with blood instead. Rick halted to a stop as everyone came running outside. I opened the door, but didn't get out of the truck. "Where's Emily?" I heard Daryl ask. "In the truck. Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery." Hershel said. Everyone let out a gasp as I finally stepped out of the truck. "Oh my god, are you okay?" Andrea exclaimed. "It ain't me, it's a kid we found. Barely eighteen I'd say. Tell ya the story later." I said as I tried once again to clean my face.

Everyone dispersed their own ways, most going inside the house. Daryl quickly walked up to me and looked me over once or twice before walking around me two or three times before he took out his bandana. He gingerly touched my face and wiped off the kids blood and traced my face with his hands before he dropped his hands. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. "M'fine." I say, rubbing my arm near the bullet scratch. "Gotta wait for Patricia to set up the stage and I'm gonna do surgery. Welcome to watch if ya wanna." I said, letting out a sigh. I leaned on the truck as I heard him let out a, "No thanks, gotta clean the rest of the deer meet. M'fine with animal blood, human not so much."

I just nodded and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hands. The kid let out a moan as I practically ran back to him. "Just give us a minute alright. Hold on, you've made it this far. Don't you dare die on me, ya got that?" I said as I grasped his leg. I felt Daryl slide in behind me to take a look at the kid, not getting a good glance. I heard the front door slam as Hershel and Patricia strode down the steps. The kid let out a whimper as he went back to unconsciousness from the blood loss. "M'ere Daryl. Grab his arms and help us take him to the shed." He did as he was told as we carried him to the shed.

He placed him down on the table and gave me a once over before walking out of the room. Thank god Patricia had set everything up, thankful I could get started easily. "I think if I just mend the hole in the leg and stitch up the wound, he might be able to walk. He'll have nerve damage, that's for sure though." I said as I cleaned the area around the wound. I dove into my work, working faster than I ever had.

–

I let out a long sigh as I looked out the shed window to see darkness creeping upon the sky. _I'd just performed another five hour surgery. _I looked over to see the boy slowly regaining his consciousness.

"Mornin' Randall, how ya feel." I said with a snarl. _I may have just saved this kids life, but he still shot at my family, my boys. _"Like hell. Got any meds?" he asked. "Why, yes good afternoon to you too. My name's Emily and yes, you're welcome that I just saved you're life. No, no medication is to be provided to you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things I need to deal with." I said, as I walked out of the shed. _Fucking kid. I just saved his life and I get asked if I have any meds to give him. I barely had enough to operate!_

Hershel quickly caught up as we both made our way into the farmhouse, meeting everyone in the kitchen. "The kid'll be out for hours. Won't be on his feet for days, weeks." I said. "We should post a guard," T-Dog said as Daryl walked into the kitchen. He gave a look at Carol who just nodded before turning his attention to the group. _Odd. _"Ya know what, I'm gonna go get the kid some flowers. Look at this, we back in fantasyland!" Shane started spouting off. _What the hell was wrong with him? Had he finally gone crazy? _"You know we still haven't dealt with what you did at the barn?" Hershel replied back just as angrily.

"Let me make this perfectly clear once and for all- this is my farm. I wanted you gone, Rick talked me out of it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. So do us both a favor. Keep your mouth shut." Hershel threw at him. _Thank god, Hershel. Shane was acting crazy. After all the work we'd done to keep him alive, he wasn't going to do shit to him. _Shane just sighed as he walked out the door huffing. "We won't do anything about him today. Let's just cool off." Rick said, as everyone dispersed, Andrea quickly following behind Shane. _Uh oh, something's there. Well at least she wasn't bitching at anybody. She was still on my bad side. She fucking shot Daryl even when we told her not to shoot. _

I rested my arms on the table as I saw Daryl look to Carol once again. _Did something happen while I was gone? No, nothing could have. Could it? _He just let out a huff and flung open the door as Carol followed behind him like a puppy. I sighed as Hershel came over to me. "Let's go look at Beth." I nodded and followed him as we made our way into her room. I walked over to her side and felt her head. "Not too hot. Has she eaten?" I asked as Maggie walked into the room. She shook her no as Hershel said, "I'll give her a sedative, stop her body from working too hard." I nodded and asked, "Hershel, can I take a shower please?" he just nodded towards the door as I let myself out.

I walked through the hallway and out the front door whenever I heard Andrea and Shane talking by their selves. "I should've left with you when I had the chance." _I thought Shane wanted to leave with me? What the hell Shane? Trying to get any tail that'll leave with you cause you can't have Lori anymore? _I shook my head as I walked to my tent. I walked in and grabbed my orange shirt and pair of skinny jeans and a 'clean' pair of socks and undergarments and walked back up to the house. "Shane thinks the baby's his." I heard Lori say. _Fuck me sideways. I was right. _ I shook my head as I walked back up to the house.

I walked in and went straight to the shower. I placed my clothes on the sink counter and stripped down. I looked at all the scars that ran over my body as my fingers traced them. I took my hair down from my ponytail and ran my fingers through it. _Thank god he blessed me with glorious hair that didn't gnat up __much. _I stepped into the shower and turned the water on. I let the water hit my head first, cleansing all the dirt and grime from it. I picked up some of Beth's shampoo and squeezed a little in my hand. _Peaches. My favorite. _I lathered it into my hair, watching all of the bubbles fall on the tile as I cleaned. I quickly cleaned the rest of my body, now just standing there, feeling the water hit my skin. The water finally got too cold for me liking, so I shut it off and stepped out. I wrapped the mint green towel against me, feeling the warmth I'd missed. I brushed my hair and slowly pulled my hair into a neat, side swept braid ponytail.

I put on my clothes and finally slipped my boots on. I opened up the door and let all of the steam go out of the room so I could fully see my reflection in the mirror without it fogging up. "Emily." I heard call out from the hallway. "Yes?" I asked, expecting one of the Greene's to be there. "Your man's out there talkin' to Carol." I turned around quick to see Cheyenne leaning up against the door frame. "So, they're friends. No big deal and where the fuck did ya go yesterday at the bar?!" I said, looking back at the mirror. _Dear lord, I looked different. So different. There was bags under my eyes that showed how much tanner I had gotten. _"Really, cause she seems to be getting cozy up on him. We left, we told ya we were." she said. I rolled my eyes. _No, she wouldn't do that would she. I liked Carol, hell I'd saved her daughter once, even though I couldn't do it a second._

I placed my hands on the counter and dropped my head. "She's mournin', leave her alone Cheyenne. She needs a hug it ain't a fuckin' big deal. Climb off yer high horse and stop tryin' to start shit. We got other problems." I let out a huff. "Oh like that little cutie you saved today?" she said, just begging for me to turn around. "Yeah, Randall. Now leave, got shit to do Cheyenne." I said as I looked up into the mirror again. My blue eyes had turned dark, there was no compassion in them anymore. I quickly gathered my things and quickly brushed past Cheyenne and walked out onto the front porch. I sat down my dirty clothes on a rocking chair and looked out at the scene in front of me. _Beautiful. If only Elly was here. I'd be riding her up and down these fields. _

"Look. I'm just saying there's always someone out there better than Dixon." she said, her voice laced with malice. I swiveled around to face her, placing my hand on my hip, the other on the porch rail. "Are you just askin' me to hit you?" I said, looking at her. "No, but it'd be nice to see ya do somethin' other than flirt with Dixon and make stupid decisions like bringing in that Randall kid. Stupid bitch." she said. I just scoffed and said, "Seems like all ya do is try to start shit Cheyenne. Ya really want a repeat of what happened last time ya started somethin'." I said, folding my arms on the railing, looking back at her. "Maybe. Sometimes I think it'd be better if I wasn't here." she said, sighing. "Shoulda thought of that fore ya came here. We gave ya chances to leave, not to mention I almost kicked ya off here long ago." I said, sighing.

"Whatever Em." she said and took off down the steps and to her tent. "Oh and tell Paden to not do it so hard. I hear yer moans from our tent!" I said, flipping her off. _Stupid whore. She's just using Paden for comfort even though he really likes her. Why did I even put up with her? She got everything she ever wanted. Even now she still does. _I shook my head and continued leaning on the porch railing. "I thank you for helpin' me back at the bar." Glenn said as he walked up to the porch. "No problem. How are things with Maggie?" I asked. "Not too good." he solemnly said back. I patted him on the back and said, "She'll come round. Y'all both are crazy for each other."

He just nodded as I turned around and headed back into the house. "Excuse me, Maggie. Is it okay if I take one of the horses out to ride?" I asked as politely as I could. "Sure thing. Take Pepper. She's the white one." I let out a chuckle and said, "Love the name choice." She let out a chuckle and said, "Beth named her when she was four. We've had her a long time and the name just stuck." I nodded and walked out the door. I made my way to the stables and opened the doors, only to smell the lovely scent of the horses. I walked over to Pepper and put my hands on her nose. "Hey there girl." I said, scratching her nose. "Wanna go for a ride?" I asked as I walked over to the wall and pulled down a saddle and set it on the table. I walked back over and pulled Pepper out of the stall and threw the saddle on her and got the nose reigns and put them on.

"That's a good girl," I said, putting one foot through the stirrup, testing the weight. It seemed like it would hold so I took Pepper by the reigns and walked out of the barn and stopped her before I climbed onto the saddle. I closed my eyes until I got fully situated and then opened them once again. _Breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking. Georgia was beautiful. If the world ever returned back to normal, I was getting out of the city. I was going to live out here. I was going to get out of this world. _

I hit my heel against Pepper's side and the air was instantly taken from me as we took off into a run as Pepper stretched her legs. I took her to the fields and stopped her for a second as we both took in the sights before us. My eyes fluttered to the trees and to the skies. _How could a world so precious have to deal with things and people so vicious. The world is beautiful, but it's littered with terrible things and people. _I kicked Pepper's side as we took off in a trot around the field. After a while of riding, I got down and laid in the grass as Pepper walked around. After an hour or two of sitting in the grass, I got up and got back on Pepper and took her back to the stables.

I took the saddle off and placed it on the wall and put Pepper back in her stable. I sniffed the air smelling an odd smell. I walked out of the barn to see Lori and Carol cooking something over by the fire. I walked over and wiped my hands on my pants. "Anything I can help ya ladies with?" I said, smiling. "Uhm, wanna wash those dishes over there so we can have something to eat off of?" Lori asked, clutching her stomach. _Smell must be making her nauseous. _"Sure thing." I said and walked over to the wash bin. I began washing dishes whenever I heard Carol whisper to Lori, "Where's she been this whole time?" I saw Lori shake her head and mouth "Later." to Carol.

_Great. Both of these women want to play housewife in the middle of the apocalypse. Please, let them talk about me all I want. Not like they had anything better to do. They sat here and cooked food while I went out and found it for them. They should be thanking me, especially for that deer me and Daryl ran upon today. Where is Daryl? He probably went off in the woods to have time alone. Who knows? Maybe he went to the tent. We were supposed to look for my mom today. But after everything that's happened, she's more than likely not alive. She can't be. She was almost what fifty years old now. She couldn't have made it. There's no way._

I shook my head as I continued to wash the dishes. "Excuse me," I heard Carol say as she took off to the RV. "The hell's that about?" I muttered quietly under my breath. I heard Lori gag as I took the fork from her and began to stir the eggs she was working on. "Little Rick in there don't like eggs does he?" I asked, emitting a small chuckle. "No." she said. "Wait, you know?" she said, frantic. "Honey, I think we all know. Go, I'll tend to this. Go rest. Plus you and Rick are the quietest talkers." I said with a smirk. She laughed and said, "Okay, remind myself to talk quieter. Thank you, Emily. Really, thank you."

"Welcome." I said as I turned my attention to the eggs in the skillet. I finished off one set of eggs and was about to crack some new eggs into the skillet whenever I saw Daryl with a flower. _Why the hell does he have a flower? Daryl Dixon's walking around with a flower in a beer bottle. The hell? _I sneakily followed him with my eyes as he looked around before stepping into the RV. _The RV? He never goes into the RV. The hell Daryl? _I just shook my head and began cooking the eggs until it hit me. _Carol. Maybe Cheyenne was right. No, she can't be. Daryl doesn't know how to put moves on anything without the other putting moves first. Does Carol like him? _My head started to pound as I finsihed off the eggs for everyone and called them out. "Sorry guys, I didn't know how y'all liked yer eggs but Carol had to go off and do something and Lori asked me to cook the rest cause she wasn't feeling well, so sorry if they ain't the best." I said, looking down at the ground. I quickly grabbed me a plate as others grabbed theirs and said their thanks aloud. I took my plate and walked back to the tent as I unzipped it and got in.

I placed myself on the ground and began eating. The eggs were decent. I'd made killer eggs back in the day when I had a bunch of spices. I was quite the cook. _So much for that now. _I cleared my throat and continued eating as I stared out the tent window. It was a beautiful day, but it was getting colder. _Damn Georgia weather. _I finished off my food and got up ready to go sleep. I walked back to the fire and placed my dishes in the tub. I turned around and was on my way back to the tent whenever Carol stopped me. "You mind doing the dishes tonight?" she asked, obviously wanting to get away. "Uh, sure." I said, confused. _Carol never minded doing dishes. Why did she want me to do them? Weird woman._

After everyone had stuck their dishes in, I started washing them one by one. About halfway through the dishes, I heard Daryl's footsteps come up behind me. "Hey, redneck." I said, as I heard him sit down on the log behind me. "Hey woman." he said. "Why ya doin' dishes?" "Trust me, if I coulda found a way out, I would've. Carol asked me to, so I was being nice. Why aren't ya in bed yet? We need more food. That deer meat ain't gon last long with the way we eat round here." I said, cleaning a dish. I wiped my forehead with my forearm and finished the last of the dishes as Daryl continued to sit in silence watching the fire. "Got watch." he said. "Alright, well I'm going to bed. Night Daryl." I said as I walked off to the tent.

"Hey Em, ya alright?" he asked. "Sure, why wouldn't I be? Almost got killed by Randall's friends, had to perform a five hour surgery, and then cook and clean fer these people." I said shaking my head. "Everyday stuff ya know?" He didn't look convinced but just nodded. "Night." he said. "Night." I walked into the tent and threw myself on the bedding. I took off my shoes and got into the sleeping bag and planned for a good nights sleep. I'd deal with Randall tomorrow.

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AN: Thank you guys for the reviews, they mean so much to me! Please if you have any suggestions with the story, please please please tell me! Love you all! 3


	24. Chapter 24

I rested my head on the pillow and closed my eyes. For after what felt like the longest time, I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the roof of the tent. _Can't sleep. _"Might as well go help Daryl watch." I said outloud. _Okay, no more talking out loud to yourself, Emily. That just makes it weird._ I pulled my shoes on and walked outside and was making my way to the RV whenever I heard an odd noise. _Was that giggling? It's the damn apocalypse, who the hell is giggling? _My eyes cast shadows over the farm until they landed up the two figures sitting upon the RV. Daryl and Carol were sitting on top of the RV, laughing at something. Lord knows who what.

_Seriously, giggling? What could possibly be so funny that they're giggling? _"It's like that one time whenever Carl and Shane were too busy trying to catch frogs!" Carol sputtered out, giggles following. My face contorted into confusion as I shrunk back towards the tent. _Maybe I was just getting jealous, but there wasn't anything there, was there? _I shook my head and made my ways back to the tent. _What if there really was something going on? No, there couldn't be. _"Emily, what are you doing awake?" I heard a sleepy voice call out. "I thought you went to bed already." I turned around and saw Glenn standing behind the tent with a roll of toilet paper in his hands. "Uh, yeah I couldn't fall asleep. Was gonna take watch too, but seems like they got it covered up there. Good night Glenn." I said as I quickly got in the tent and didn't say a word.

I laid down on the pillow and once again stared up at the ceiling of the tent. "The fuck." I muttered aloud. _Since when did they become such good friends? Hell, you're gone for one day and it seems like everyone is now best friends and I'm not in there. But Daryl and Carol. Really? They've both lost so much. I mean Daryl lost Merle and Carol lost Ed and Sophia. SOPHIA! That was it. Maybe they bonded over her. Maybe it wasn't anything bad in the first place. Still, I didn't like they way they both looked at each other. Honestly, it was like they were talking without saying anything. Oh wow, that sounds really cliche. _I closed my eyes as I tried to let sleep overcome me.

The tent unzipping awoke me from my terrible nights sleep as Daryl stepped in and took off his shoes and laid down to fall asleep. As he laid down, I sat up and grabbed my shoes. "What time is it?" I asked, quietly. "Round five. Where ya goin'? He asked, yawning the whole time. "Out." I said as I grabbed my bow and knife, leaving his pistol behind in the tent. "Mm." he said as he got comfortable and instantly fell asleep. I just let out a sigh as I picked myself up off the ground and walked out of the tent, zipping it up before heading out. I needed time out, alone to think. I looked to the RV to see T-Dog and Dale taking watch. I slightly jogged over to them and climbed the ladder. "Hey guys." I whispered, careful to not wake anyone else in camp. "Hey, sweetheart." Dale called out. "Mornin'." T responded. "Even though we just bagged that deer yesterday, it ain't gon last long. I'm goin' out huntin'. Won't take long, just some birds and rabbits if we're lucky. No squirrel." I said, making a face.

They just chuckled."Daryl going with you?" Dale asked. I paused for a minute before shaking my head no. "I won't be long. Just need to get some food and clear my head." I said, looking down for a moment. "Hey, Emily." T-Dog said as I looked up. "Thank you." he said. I was instantly confused. "For going and getting mornin', lunch, and dinner. Plus, takes a lot to deal with Dixon. I'm glad you and Carol are keepin' him under wraps." I just nodded and stepped down to the ladder and made my way into the treeline, glad that I had time to myself. I wouldn't get this normally.

_What was going on here recently? We have a kid locked in a shed because I chose to save his life even though he shot at us. Daryl and Carol are becoming way to close for my liking. I'm forced to deal with some of the dirty jobs. I have to hunt for food daily cause these people don't know how to save for anything. I had to cook supper and do the damn dishes cause Lori was pregnant. I mean seriously, it's the fucking apocalypse. I get the whole needing to repopulate the world but damn. And now she doesn't even know whose kid it is! Fucking awesome. This was literally like a soap opera. What more could we add to the scenario? Let's see. Rick and Shane are best friends. Lori's married to Rick but has had an affair with Shane and now she's pregnant after getting back with her husband. Who's the father? It's like some bad version of the Maury show. _I shook my head of my thoughts as I raised my bow and shot down a bird. I went and retrieved it and hung it on my rope. I shot bird after bird until I had at least fifteen on my hip. I picked up my quiver sack and put all my arrows back in them and sat down, leaning up against a tree.

I let out a sigh as I grabbed my canteen and took a swallow. _I wonder what's going on at the farm. It'd be daylight soon, and then we'd have to deal with Randall. Hell, I'd have to check him over. I don't think Hershel would want to. We'd have to get information out of them somehow. Rick would probably send Shane in to get the information more than likely, or maybe me cause he was halfway decent around me. Who knows, maybe even Daryl? Oh, Daryl. What was up with him lately? Ever since I met him, I had feelings like none other. I'd never really felt some of the same things like he made me feel. He was constantly in my mind. All of my actions revolved around him, around what we did and do. _

_Everything I do is based off of him. _As a twig broke, my mind came back to reality. I looked around and saw a walkers foot creep out from behind a bush. I let out a sigh as I picked up my knife, getting ready to kill the walker. Finally the whole walker came into view as I took a good glance at it. Half it's stomach wasn't there and it had a nasty bite mark on its leg. My eyes followed up to look at the face. _God no. _I fell back on the ground as I let out a shaky sob. "Mom." I cried out. Her once blue eyes had turned into a vicious yellow, threatening to kill anything that came close. "Mom!" I croaked out as she made her way to me. I quickly got up off the ground and gripped on my knife stronger than ever.

"You were supposed to be dead! I lived my whole life without you!" I began sobbing. "Mom." I said as she kept on coming closer and closer. I ran forward and dug the hunting knife in her skull as we both fell to the ground. I repeatedly stabbed her head, making her unrecognizable. "Mom." I once again cried out. I threw my head back against a tree, slowly falling down it, sobbing. _My mom was actually alive. She'd made it. But then she got turned. Dammit mom! _"Mom." I croaked out once again. I closed my eyes as I tried to shift everything out of my mind. _She needed to be put in a grave. _I picked myself up off the ground and found a long branch and began digging. For what felt like hours I was digging, constantly digging for a place to put her.

I heard another twig snap as I instantly put my hand on my knife. "Dear god, what's wrong Em?" I heard Daryl say. "Go away." I said quietly, wiping my face of the tears as I leaned over Mom's body. "No, I ain't leavin' till ya tell me what's wrong." he said, stubborn as ever. "Ya wanna know what's wrong!" I said, standing up. "That's my mother right there. She's dead! I had to kill her MYSELF! That's what's fuckin' wrong Daryl! Now just leave me be!" I barked at him. He just looked shocked as he slowly started backing up. "Just go back to camp. Let me bury her in peace. It's what I think she would've wanted." I said quietly, the tears building back up. I noticed him back a way aways before he spoke again. "I'm stayin'. Make sure ya don't hurt yerself." he said.

"Too late." I said, showing him the cuts on my legs from where I fell backwards. "If yer gonna stand there, don't be steady creepin', Lord." I said, sniffling. He just let out a grunt as I pulled my dead mothers leg into the grave as the rest of her body followed after. I started packing the dirt back over top of her while letting out a couple tears as I continued working. I felt Daryl walk up beside me as he lingered over the grave looking at her. "I bet she was beautiful when she was alive." he said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Don't member except for a couple of things. If I hadn't have found her license I would've went on my own business without doin' this." I said. "Seriously,go back to camp and talk to Carol some more." I said, continuing placing dirt on top. "What?" he asked. _Shit, I hadn't meant for that to come out. _"Ya heard me, just go back to camp." I said standing up and wiping off my shirt the best I could.

"Fine." he said as he picked up his crossbow and began stalking back to camp. "Wait, Daryl!" I called out. He turned around and looked at me, his glare sending shivers through my body. "M'sorry. It's just I ain't been normal lately." I said, looking down at the ground. "And this," I said pointing at mom, "it's just too much, Daryl." I said, tearing up. "I never teared up in the world before. I dealt with my shit and moved on, but here it's just too damn much." I said, shaking my head. I felt him walk closer to me. "Plus, you've been around Carol so much we ain't even got to talk." I muttered under my breath. "What was that Em?" he said. "Ya heard me Daryl! Yer ears are the only ones that are good as mine, if not better!" I said, hollering a little.

He just nodded his head and took me by surprise with a hug. I instantly relaxed, leaning into him. "Come on, let's go back to camp. Rick and Shane are having a meeting bout that little dickhead that shot at y'all." he said, running his hand down my hair. I just nodded into his hair before pulling away. "Give me a few minutes with her." I said, looking at the ground. I walked over to the makeshift grave and sat down on my knees. "Hey, mom." I began, looking at the cross at the head of the grave. "I wish I would've known you were alive earlier. I really wish I would've found you earlier." I said, almost crying. "Why didn't ya let me know ya were alive?" I said, beginning to sob. Daryl walked up beside me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I wanted to meet you but not like this." I shook my head and continued sobbing. Daryl shifted closer to me as I felt him kneel down beside me. "I'll be back, Mom. I'll come see you everyday. No matter what." I said, as I wiped my tears and looked over at Daryl. "I haven't seen her for years, and now when I finally get to, she's a walker. I wasn't expectin' this." I said, shaking my head. "I know ya weren't. But I, uh, guess things happen this way for a reason." he said, looking me in the eyes. We both got up off the ground as we both grabbed our weapons and made our way back to camp. "Yer eyes." he said. "What bout them?" I said, stepping over a large rock. "They're always full of sadness or hate. There isn't anythin' else in 'em." he said, looking at the ground.

We had just come up on the treeline when I stopped him. "Should've seen 'em before. They were filled with hate." I said, looking up at the sky. _Seven o'clock. _"Why hate?" he asked. "Why not? You seen the world before. It was just as hard to live then as now. People tryin' to take yer job, family. Not to mention everyone stereotyped. I happened to get the short end of the stick. Daryl, life was just as hard then as it is now." I looked over to the RV to see Shane up top. "Let's just go see what they're gonna do." I said, walking in front of Daryl.

I heard his footsteps follow behind me fast. "What the hell woman?" he asked. "Huh?" I asked back. "That little speech ya had back there. The hell's it supposed to mean?!" he said pointing behind him. "I don't know, just felt right to say, now come on!" I said, running to the RV. Rick stopped me and Daryl and told us both to come inside the farmhouse to pick the Randall decision. I walked in and placed myself towards the doorway in case I had to hear some bullshit. I wanted to get out of there fast. Daryl stood on the opposite doorway so he could see me. I felt Carol walk beside me with her loud ass footsteps. _Lord, wanna walk any louder? If someone human was trying to kill us, your ass would be dead first cause your so loud. _

I shook my head as everyone else piled up into the room. _Good lord, this was too crowded. _"Shane and I have decided to take Randal eighteen miles out. We'll drop him with a canteen and let him go on his way. If he makes it, he makes it. If not, well we won't know because we'll be long gone." Rick said shaking his head, looking at the ground. "You're just gonna drop him off?" Andrea said from the loveseat. "That's like a death wish!" she said. _Dear god, just shut up Andrea. _"We don't want his men finding ours. That'd be a full on war. He was blindfolded all the way here. Only thing of the farm he's seen is the inside of the shed." I said. "Exactly what she said. That's why it's eighteen miles out." he said, continuing his speech. I tuned him out until he was finished. "One thing, Rick. Uh, who's all going?" I asked.

"Just Shane and I. It's nothing big that we need anyone else." he said, looking over at Lori. Shane just nodded and looked over at me before looking me over with eyes. _Dude's creepy as fuck looking at me like that. _I just smirked as I leaned over a bit making my chest show a little cleavage. Shane just stared as I leaned back up. _Okay, Shane would've never have done that. Something's definitely up with him. Definitely something. _I just scoffed as I made my way outside.

I walked over to the fire pit and sat down on a log. "What're you doin' sittin' on my log, Em?" I heard Shane call out. "Uh, didn't know we had specific seats, Shane, and better question is what are you still doin' here? Ya gotta take Randall out, like now." I said, looking to the skies. "Wanted to say goodbye first." he said coming closer. "Uh, bye?" I asked, confused. "Oh please don't act like you don't want this." he said, referring to his body. "I don't.." I trailed off. "What's goin' on Em." Daryl said as he came up and stood next to me. "Uh, I was just asking Emily if she could watch over the farm while I was gone," Shane said, completely taken off guard. "Oh sure thing I will Shane." I said, giving a sickly sweet smile. "Uh thanks." he said as he walked off huffing.

"Wanna tell me what that's about?" Daryl asked chewing on his nail. "Shane thinks he can get a piece of tail from me. Too bad he can't. Plus ain't he with Andrea or somethin' like that? I heard 'em talkin' bout leavin' the other day." I said, biting my nail. The sound of a car coming to life broke us from our conversation as we watched Shane take Randall and put him in the back of the car. Rick placed headphones on him and fixed it around his head where they wouldn't fall off. "WAIT!" I heard Randall call out. "Can you bring Emily here? I think that's her name. The woman who did the surgery thing on me." he said. I looked up and the sound of my name to see Rick beckoning me over there.

I got up off the log and dusted my butt off and walked over to the car. "What does he want?" I mouthed to Rick. He just shook his head and said, "She's here." "Your name's Emily right? Can I call you Em?" he asked. "No, you can't. Only one person can, and sorry hun it ain't you. What do you want?" I asked, getting fired up. "Just wanted to know if you'd give me a good luck kiss." I let out a snort as Shane and Rick tried to hold in their laughter. I grabbed his leg and made him face me completely. "Listen here, kid. I'm ten or more years older than you. Ya don't wanna play this game with me. One wrong move and you get an arrow in the ass " I said, flinging him back into the car. "I like them feisty." he said as he straightened back up. I slammed the hatch on the car down and walked away.

Both Rick and Shane just laughed as they got in the car and took off. I walked back and instead of going to the fire pit, I headed straight for the tent. I needed rest, especially after what happened this morning. I walked in the tent and sat my bow down and took my shoes off, laying down on the bag. I slipped into it after a few minutes, my feet getting cold. "What did that dick say to ya before he left?" I heard Daryl say as he climbed in the tent. "Wanted a uh, goodbye kiss." I said, yawning. "Before ya fall asleep, wanna move the tent further away from the group?" he asked me. "Uh, okay." I said, sitting up. "Why though? I mean if somethin' was to happen we'd be farther away from the house." I said, showing reason. "Too close to these people. Come on." he patted my knee and got up.

"Sure thing." I said as I pulled on my boots. Over the next hour or so we moved the tent. Finally as soon it was stable, I climbed in and plopped down on the ground. "Ground's never felt so comfy." I said as I curled up in the sleeping bag. He just chuckled as he climbed in as well. "Wanna know somethin'?" he asked, quietly. "Hmm?" I muttered, halfway asleep. "If anythin' were to happen to us here, I'd get ya out first Em." he said, quietly. I leaned up and looked at him through half lidded eyes._ Did he really say that? Dammit Daryl Dixon. _My heart started to flutter as my cheeks became red. "The same goes for me. I'd make sure ya got out first Dare." I said, yawning. "Lay down an go to sleep." he said as I lowered myself back down on the bedding.

As soon as my eyes shut, I instantly fell asleep letting my dreams overcome me. I awoke later to the sound of a car returning down the driveway. _Something was wrong. They shouldn't be back this quick. Something was up. _I threw on my shoes and clambered out of the tent grabbing my bow in the process. Daryl came up from behind me and walked alongside me. "Somethin's wrong." we both said at the same time. We all but ran up to the car. "What's wrong?" I said as they stepped out. "Randall knows Maggie." I shook my head. "Okay, so what's the deal. It's not like he knows where we are." I heard T-Dog say from behind me. As I took in both the men's appearance, I immediately noticed the scars and open cuts. _Fist fight? Maybe they'd both had enough? _

"Oh but that's where you're wrong. He knows Maggie and Hershel. Kid's from around this part of town. Knows the farm and everythin'." Rick said. "Okay, so what are we gonna do?" Andrea asked. _Stupid. Obviously we'd have to keep him here or something. _"We're gonna keep him for the time being." Shane said. Numerous scoffs were let out. "We're gonna interrogate him and see what he knows. Maybe it's not a lot, we'll see." Rick said. "So we're just gonna keep him in the shade like normal?" I said, asking the question everyone wanted to know. "Yes, if it's fine with Hershel." he said, looking over at the man. "Fine, but I want him off. I don't like him."

Rick just nodded and said, "Well who's going to take the food out to him?" I nodded and said, "I will. My face is literally the only one he's seen of the women. Don't want him knowing anyone else sides the men." The men nodded and so did the other women. "I can do it." Carol piped up. "No, just leave it to me." I said, forcing her to drop it. _Carol doesn't need to be around that dick. He'd make moves on her, and I don't know if she could take it. _

"Alright Daryl, Emily, come help me move him." Rick said. I just let out a sigh as I walked to the car. We picked him up and forcefully walked him to the shed. "Come on guys, what are you doing!" he called out. "Shut it kid. I'll be back later with some food." I said as we threw him in the shed and took off his blindfold. "Even prettier than you sound." he said. "I wasn't jokin' bout that arrow in the ass." I said as Daryl gave the kid a hard glare. We both left the kid handcuffed as we walked out the door. "Let's go eat." I said as I looked at Daryl. "Yeah." he said as we took off to the fire pit.

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_**AN: Thank you so much for the reviews it means so much! Love all you guys! 3**_


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Hi my lovelies! Here's another chapter for you! Okay how was the season finale! SPOILERSSSS. I was so not expecting that one person to die at all! It actually made me sad cause it seemed I liked her when no one else really did! And the way she went too, ermehgerd so saddening! Well, I guess I'll stop spoiling them and let you guys read on! But thank you so much for the reviews! Keep on reviewing! ~**

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Daryl and I continued to walk to the fire pit, but before we could sit down an ear piercing scream was heard from the inside of the house. _The hell? _Both of our heads whipped to the house as Lori ran out on the front porch. She looked pissed and just looked around before going back into the house. "Hell's that about?" Daryl asked. I just let out a grunt. He let out a chuckle as I looked over at him. "I'll go see. Cook us somethin' yummy." I said as I sauntered away, feeling his eyes on me the whole time. I walked up the front stairs as I knocked on the door. _Why do I still knock on the door? _I shook my head as I walked in and followed Andrea and Lori's voices from the kitchen.

"Because you're being so selfish!" I heard Maggie holler from down the hall. _The hell's that about? _I walked into the kitchen to hear Andrea saying, "This could've been handled better." Lori just turned around and said, "How so? Hey Emily." Andrea just sighed and just said, "You shouldn't have taken the knife away from her. Let Beth make her own decision. You were wrong like Dale taking my gun. That wasn't your decision." _Suicide? I guess Beth wanted to commit suicide. Poor girl. _I leaned across the counter and just rubbed my temples. Beth and Maggie continued to scream at each other down the hall.

"She has to choose to live on her own. She has to find her own reasons." Andrea said as Lori continued walking around the kitchen. "Want me to hang a noose for her?" she said opening the refrigerator door. _The fuck? _I looked at Lori like she was crazy. "If she's really serious, she'll figure out a way." Andrea said. "Are we seriously talkin' bout her like this while we're in the house!" I said, whispering loudly. "Doesn't mean I can't stop her or let her know that I care, and yes we are." Lori said. "Oh come on that has nothing to do with it Lori. She only has so many choices in front of her, and it just so happens she thinks it's suicide." she followed up with. "Not an option." "Oh, it's always an option. She doesn't need to be yelled at or treated like a child." Andrea countered back.

"Want to hand her a loaded gun? You'll understand if I don't send ya in there." Lori threw back at her. Andrea let out a sigh and said, "I came through it." "Guys, seriously, if we're gonna talk, do it outside. It's too much. Come on, let's go outside." I said, trying to reason the both of them. "No, and besides look how such a productive member of the group you are Andrea. Let Maggie handle this her own way." _Ouch, Lori's getting to be a bitch. That even hurt my feelings. What was Andrea gonna say back? _ "Uh, I contribute. I help keep this place safe, Lori." she said. _Was that before or after you shot Daryl, you whore?_

Lori just shook her head and said, "The men can handle this on their own. They don't need your help." she said, throwing a rag in the sink. _Bitch, I help contribute too. I sit up there and take watch too. Now she was getting me involved and that wasn't a good thing. _I let out a scoff as Andrea said, "I- I'm sorry, what would you have me do?" Lori shook her head and responded, "Ohhh, there's plenty of work to do." I let out another scoff, "Are you serious?" both Andrea and I said at the same time. "Everything falls apart and you're in our faces over laundry?" she finished out. "Andrea, it puts a burden on the rest of us; on me, Carol, Patricia, and Maggie. Cookin' and cleaning and taking care of Beth." "Lori, I told you I don't do laundry at the quarry." I said. _Looks like I'm with Andrea on this one. _"And you," she said, pointing to her, "You don't care bout anyone but yourself. The both of y'all sit up on that RV, working on your tans with a shotgun in your lap." _And I was just starting to really like Lori. Too bad that's gone. _

Andrea let out a scoff as I flung my hands in the air. _Seriously, Lori! What the hell?! _"I am watch against walkers!" Andrea and I said simultaneously. "Not fresh mints in lemonade." Andrea followed. "We are providing stability. We're trying to create a life worth living. Look, I went after Rick and took down two walkers. Crashing her-" Lori started, but not before Andrea interrupted leaving me confused. "Your insane." Lori said. "No, you are. And you're the one that's self centered. The way you take it all for granted." Andrea threw back at her. _Holy hell, Andrea was right. Lori always wanted things to go her way. And lord, I'd just gotten close to her and look what she'd done. _"My husband is out there for the hundreth time, my son was almost shot. Don't you dare tell me I take this for granted!" Lori hollered while getting closer to Andrea's face. Both were leaning over the countertop while I continued to stand in the background and observe. _I loved a good cat fight, maybe they'll throw some punches. _"You really don't get it do you Lori. Your husband came back from the dead, your son too, and look! Now you have a baby on the way, how sweet."

I let out a snorty chuckle as Lori turned her head to face me with a glare. She turned back as Andrea continued talking. "The rest of us have piled up our losses- me, Carol, Beth, and I'm sure Emily too. But you just keep on coming on." she said. _I nodded my head and thought of my mom. No one knew yet. Only Daryl, and thank god for him. _"We've all suffered." Lori said. "You play queen house, acting like your queen bee. Laying down rules for everyone but yourself." _Ouch, that's cold, but truthful Andrea. _"Go ahead, go in there and tell Beth that everything's gonna be okay, just like it was for you. She'll get a husband, son, baby, and a boyfriend." _Ding ding ding! Andrea for the winner! Damn, that's a cold comment but hell if it's not right. _Lori turned her head to Andrea to give her the meanest glare. "She just has to look on the bright side." as we both turned on our heels and walked out of the house.

_Stupid bitch. _I slammed the screen door shut and walked back to the fire pit, starving. I huffed and threw myself down on the log whenever Daryl handed me a plate with some bird and potatoes on it. "Thanks." I said as I took it from him. "Didn't know how long to cook bird. Hope it's done." he said. I grasped the bird in my hands as I took a bite. _Damn, redneck can cook. _"Perfect." I said as I continued to finish off my food and stare out into the trees. "Somethin' up?" he asked me. "Olive Oil started bitchin' at me and Andrea cause we don't do the laundry anymore. I ain't done it since the quarry." I said, letting out a sigh. "She can kiss my ass. I'll bring her the clothes, that's as close as I'll come. Plus, Andrea's got a mouth on her. Shut Lori up quick." I said, picking the bird out of my teeth.

He just nodded as he looked towards the house. "Got a weird feelin' Em." he said. "Me too. Don't know why, but I feel like somethin's bout to go down." I said as I flicked a bone into the fire. "Ya know, there's a lot of similarities 'tween you and I." I said, looking up at him. "I know." he said. "My daddy woulda liked ya." I said, looking down at the ground. "No tellin' where he is now. Wanna know how I ended up here?" I said. He nodded as he sat down next to me. "Well, I lived in Tennessee until I was sixteen, and then we moved here. Well, my best friend Lacey called me the week 'fore it hit. I went up there and was with her when the outbreak started. She never made it out of Nashville. We were having a uh, shopping day." I said. "I eventually made my way down here." He nodded his head as he continued scanning the treeline. "I'm glad I did, honestly. I don't know if I'd be alive now." I said as leaned my elbows on my knees.

"What for?" he asked. "Seriously, you wanna know?" I asked, feeling the heat raise to my cheeks. "Yeah, that's why I asked," he said, muttering 'damn woman' under his breath. I was about to answer him whenever a scream was let out from the farmhouse. "Emily!" I heard Lori scream out. _The hell's this bitch want? _"What?!" I hollered back, mad at the fact she ruined my moment. "Come here! It's Beth, we need you!" she hollered as she walked back inside the house. I let out a grunt as Daryl stood up. "I want an answer by the time I get back from the woods." he said. "Don't need time," I said as I brushed my hand past his. "The answers you." I said as I took off in a run to the house.

"What do you need Lori?" I said as I walked into the living room. "It's Beth, she's cut herself." she said, still aggravated. "Lori, it's just a cut, she'll be fine." I said, growing agitated. _Lori still wasn't on good terms with me. Now she wants my help for a cut? Please. _"If it's just a cut, why are you makin' this such a big damn deal?" I questioned, stopping at the door frame to the kitchen. "Beth's suicidal and she just cut herself and it's deep now come on and help me." she said, grabbing my arm and trying to drag me. I slung my arm out of her grasp and threw her off balance. She grabbed at the wall and let out a yelp. "Emily!" she hollered out. "Listen Lori, you've already made me irritated once today, now's not the time to make another. We were friends til ya spouted off to me and Andrea. Go do the damn dishes or somethin' since that's what you do, and since heteronormativity is normal here." I said as I pushed past her as she let out a scoff.

I opened up the door to Beth's room and instantly rushed to her side. Maggie already had the stitching tools out. "Cleaned 'em?" I asked as I threw on a glove. _Save them just in case. Don't want any blood diseases running around in the apocalypse. Well no more than there already is. _"Yes." she quickly replied as I took Beth's wrist. I numbed the wrist before I started. "Beth, this is gonna hurt okay, but I'll be gentle as possible, just try to hold still or I'll get one of the men to hold ya down, okay?" I said as I looked at her. _Poor thing looked so scared. _She just nodded as I started stitching her up. "How'd this happen darlin'?" I asked her. "Suicidal, but I wanna live now. Used a glass shard from the mirror." I just nodded and responded with, "I can tell, real jagged edge on that one. Now if ya do it again, make sure it's dull." I said with a smirk. She looked at me with confusion before realizing it was a joke and just laughed.

We stayed silent for the next few minutes while I stitched her up. Finally, we got done. "All done." I said as I pulled my glove off. She gave me a hug as soon as I cleaned everything up. "Thank you." she said. "No problem. Just next time if ya need someone to talk to, Beth honey, I'm always here. I know what you went through. Just ask, we'll talk." I said as I gave her a small smile. She just nodded before hugging me again. I walked out of her bedroom and shut her door softly, letting her go to sleep. I rubbed my hand across my forehead and walked outside to the tent. I laid down on it and stared at the ceiling. _Holy hell, I'd told Daryl that I liked it here cause of him. Oh wow. Wow. _I felt the blush rise to my cheeks as I heard Carol start working on supper. I unzipped the tent as I walked over to her. "Squirrel or bird?" she asked. "Well bird's hard to cook so if you don't want to, I'll cook it." I murmured quietly. "Thanks." she said as she handed me the pan and walked away.

_Why am I a decent person sometimes? I wouldn't have done this before. I would've just told them to cook it themselves. _I shook my head and began skinning the birds. I heard Daryl's footsteps before I heard his voice. "Hey Em, need some help dressin'?" he asked. "Well birds, yes. If yer talkin' bout dressin' me, well ya can do that too." I said, as I let out a little flirt on accident. _Oh holy fuck, did not mean for that to come out. Shit. _I shook my head and said, "Sorry, sorry," before he could say something. He just let out a cough and said, "Okay, hand me a few." I passed them over as he skinned them. He'd done five whenever I said they were enough. He looked at me with a confused face. "Gonna do two batches," I said, frying the birds in the pan.

After I got the second batch cooked I put them all on plates and cooked some potatoes. Once I was done I hollered out, "Supper. Come get it, if not I'm going to eat it." I handed everyone a plate as they came and got it. However Lori wasn't there. _Probably doesn't wanna cook what I fixed. Lord knows she probably thinks I poisoned it. Well if she wasn't gonna get it, I'd eat it. She's like a prisoner waiting to be fed. Hell, I cooked it. She was bitching at me for not doing normal women jobs, well hell I just did. Randall. He hasn't been fed. _I got up and made him a plate as everyone else watched me. "What you doing girl?" I heard Shane call out.

"Fixin' that dick a plate. Can't have him die on us without givin' any information. I'll be back." I said as I grabbed a canteen and placed some water in it. "Take someone with you." Rick said as he looked up from his plate. I looked to Daryl as he nodded and got up out of his lawn chair. We were about halfway to the shed whenever Daryl let out a sigh. "What, Dare?" I asked as I looked over at him. I took in his crossbow on his back and his knife slipping out of his holster. "Knife's bout to fall out." I said as he looked down and fixed it. "Why are ya bein' nice to the kid? He shot at y'all. Almost hit Glenn. What if that was ya?" he said in one breath. I let out a chuckle. "Ya know if yer nice to him, show some cleavage, might not have to beat the kid too hard. And plus, I wasn't near him. I was under him." I said as we came upon the door handle.

Daryl undid the lock as he took his bow in hand and stepped inside. "Supper time." I said with a smirk. "Too bad you get to eat my cookin'." I said, sidestepping Daryl and walking in. "Hey." Randall said with a smirk. I let out a miniature scoff and placed his food on the floor next to him. "You said you were ten years older then me, yeah?" he asked. "Why?" I said, concerned. "Your tits look lovely if your thirty." he said, smirking. "Oh honey trust me, I know." I said as Daryl started to move forward. "But uh, I wouldn't say that if he's around. You see, he's meaner then me. He'll really put an arrow in yer ass." I said as I leaned back up. "Eat up. I might even let ya have some water when yer done." I said, sitting down on the floor of the shed.

Daryl leaned on the doorframe and gave the kid a hard glare. "How old are you? You never answered my question." Randall said. "Twenty nine, thank you. Eat or else I'm leavin' and I'm sure he ain't givin' ya water." I said, serious. He continued to eat, but not long later he said something else. "Always had a thing for older woman. Ya like being a cougar?" he asked, smirking. I let out a smirk as I said, "Only if I find the younger man attractive. You might need some help in that category, hun." He just scoffed. He quickly ate the rest of his food. I threw him the canteen and stood up while he wasn't looking. "Holy hell! When did you stand up!" he hollered, obviously scared by my silence.

"Oh, and another thing." I said, taking the canteen back. "I'm in every way like a cougar. Don't think I won't hurt you boy. Learn how to listen." I said, pulling on his ears. "Now sleep tight, tomorrow you're gonna have a good day with Daryl here." I said motioning to him. "That dumb redneck over there?" he said. "HEY!" Daryl hollered out. I held up my hand in an attempt to calm him down. "That dumb redneck over there can choose whether you live or die. Not to mention me and him, we're kinda close." I said, pouting out my lips. He leaned in for a kiss as I smacked him across the face. Daryl once again moved closer. "Oh boy, aren't you just a fun one." I said as I backed away and went towards the door. "Seriously, ain't jokin' bout that arrow." I said as Daryl shut and locked the door.

"I'm not gonna stay up and talk with the group tonight, I'm uh going to bed, if that's okay?" I asked Daryl as we made our way up to the fire pit. "Yeah, sure. I'll be there soon." he said as he took Randall's plate from me. We both parted ways as I went into the tent. I laid down and took of my boots before quickly changing. I got inside the sleeping bag and was almost asleep whenever I heard the tent unzip and a huge roar of laughter. I re-situated myself as I felt Daryl slide in with me. "Fuckin' party they're havin' out there." I said, yawning. "Yeah, I know. Shut up and go to sleep woman." he said. "Fine, I'll make sure to not piss in yer eggs in the mornin'." I said, smirking. He just bumped me with his shoulder, making me flip over to face him.

"Yer somethin' special. Any other woman talk to me like that and they'd get some smart remark." he said, biting the inside of his cheek. "Well, I'm different." I said, closing my eyes. "That you are." he said as I felt his face get closer to mine. I was almost alseep whenever I felt his lips on mine. I kissed him back as softly as I could before saying, "Goodnight Daryl." I felt him shift closer to me as he wrapped his arm around my torso. I immediately took in the scent of him and instantly relaxed. "We'll talk about what Randall said to you in the mornin'. G'night Em." he said as I drifted off into dream land.


	26. Chapter 26

_**AN: I'm so so so so so so sorry for the late update! I went back to school this week and I have been swamped with homework! Not to mention that my school's also hosting color guard tryouts, so those have kept me busy, seeing as how I'm having to teach because I'm captain! And then to top of my week of endless work I'm having prom this Saturday! It's not my first, but it's the first I'm going with a date, so it'll be interesting, the least to say. So here's this new chapter. I hope you guys like this chapter and if you notice anything, please tell me. So here you go and I hope you enjoy lovelies. :)**_

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Randall's pants filled the room as Daryl and I paced in the small proximity of the shed. Daryl quickly threw another punch as Randall began crying as he hit the floor. _Think that's enough Daryl? _My eyes skittered across the worn down barn and over to the young boy on the floor. Another blow was delivered as he began to cry out more. "Enough.." I barely whispered, not even loud enough for Daryl to hear. "I told you-" Randall began. "Ya told me shit!" Daryl hollered back as hit began hitting again. "I barely knew those guys! Met 'em on the road!" he hollered out. "How many in your group?" I asked, quietly, unfolding my arms.

"Come on," I said, whenever he paused for too long. Both Randall and I noticed Daryl taking out his knife out of his sheath. "No, no, no, no. Come on man!" Randall said, his cries becoming frantic. I just shook my head and looked away, not wanting to see what was happening. _Although, we did need to get information somehow. _"Answer her! How many!" he said as he plunged the knife next to his leg. "Thirty! Thirty guys!" he hollered. "Where?" I asked, loudly turning around, seeing Daryl leaning over the kid, scaring the piss out of him. "Uhh." he began to stall. Daryl had finally had enough as he drug the blade ove rtop of the wound on top of his leg. I winced as I couldn't imagine the sort of pain he was going through. "I don't know! I swear! We never any place more than a night!" he cried out.

I saw Daryl slowly began to lift off of the wound until he asked the next question. "Scoutin'? Plannin' on stayin' local?" he asked. "I- I don't know." he said, beginning to stammer under Daryl's intense gaze. "Ya ever pick off a scab?" he asked again. "Daryl." I said my face showing how wrong that was. "Seriously, come on man! Listen to the pretty lady over there! I'm tryin' to cooperate!" he said. Daryl didn't care as he over talked him. "Ya start real slow at first. But sooner or later, ya just gotta rip it off." he said as Randall began to shift around while Daryl just stared at him.

"Enough." I said as I walked over to him. "Okay, okay! They have weapons- heavy stuff, automatics." He began to stammer again, "B-b-but I didn't do anythin'!" he said as Daryl's eyes grew with anger. "Your boys shot at my boys. Tried to take this farm! And you just went along for the ride?" He began. Both he and I simultaneously let out a "You're tryin' to tell me yer innocent!" I let out a scoff as he let out a "YES!" I patted Daryl on the back as I decided I'd had enough. I had just walked out of the door and stood there for a few seconds before I heard the talking start back up again. I leaned my head back against the shed as I breathed in free air. Smelt like a little bit of walker and a lot of horse.

"Men and women..." my ears perked back up as I walked back into the shed wondering what they were talking about. "One night, we found this little campsite. A man and his two daughters-" he began as I came into view. "Teenagers you know. Real young, and real cute." he said as a scowl etched its way onto both of our faces as I looked to Daryl. "Their daddy had to watch while these guys-they- and they didn't even kill him afterwords! They just made him watch. They just- just left him there." he said as I turned away and walked over to the other side of the shed, shaking my head, tears forming in my eyes. I heard Daryl let out a snarl as he continued talking. "B-but I didn't touch those girls! No I swear, I didn't!" Before Daryl could even do anything I had threw myself at Randall and landed a nice good punch on that already bloody, beaten face.

"The hell's that for bitch! Please, ya gotta believe me man! I'm not like that!" he said as I wiped the blood off my hand and walked to the door of the shed. Daryl began walking around him like he was an animal stalking his prey. "You gotta believe me man," he continued muttering outloud. Daryl became so frustrated he kicked him as hard as he could as he let out another yelp. I had enough and walked outside only to all but fall on the ground. Thinking of Randall and those girls getting raped brought back bad memories, one's that never should be brought up again. I opened my eyes and let out a sigh as I walked up to the fire pit only to hear Lori begin talking. "We'd all feel better if we knew a plan." she said. "We gonna keep him here?" Glenn said as I positioned myself in a lawn chair, taking a rag off a tree and wiping the blood off my hands. "We'll know soon enough." Rick said as he nodded his head to me and an upcoming Daryl. "Boy there's got a gang. Thirty men, easy." I said as I looked at Daryl's knuckles. _Looks worse than mine, damn. _"Heavy artillery and they sure ain't lookin' to make friends. They roll through here and our boys are dead." Daryl said, completing my sentence. "And our women- they're gonna wish they were." I muttered softly. "What did you do?" Carol piped up. _What do you think we did woman? Asked nice questions and everything? _"We had a little chat, 'tween the three of us." he said as he walked over and took the rag from me.

"No one goes near this guy." Rick said as he took over for the group. "Rick, what're you going to do?" Lori asked quietly, moving closer to him. "We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat." he said, as everyone began moving closer. Daryl and I continued to stay where we were as we could hear better than everyone there. "So, you're just gonna kill him?" Dale asked incredulously. "It's settled. I'll do it today." Rick said, not even acknowledging him. Rick turned and walked as Dale followed him and everyone except for Lori and Carol dispersed. Daryl put his hand on my shoulder and nodded towards the woods as I nodded back and got off of the ground. We began to walk away as Rick called out, "Hey Emily! You watch Randall. We'll take shifts?" I just nodded my head and gave him a thumbs up as Daryl looked at me and began walking.

"Hold on." I said. He slowly turned around and faced me. "Come here." I said as I walked to the tent. I went inside and grabbed my bow, knife, and his pistol and put them in the appropriate places. "I'll be safe and since your going to the woods, see if you can find some edible plants. Carol's cookin' ain't the best. Some herbs'll spice it up." I said as I looked towards the shed. He just nodded and looked into my eyes and said, "Be careful." I let out a smile and said, "Always." We both took off our separate ways and went to our alloted points. I sat down on the barrel outside of the shed and looked at the sky. It was beautiful, like always. After a couple of minutes, I heard Randall holler out, "I'm thirsty." I just ignored him and fiddled with the knife in my sheath.

"They're gonna kill me right?" he said, getting close to the door as he could. I didn't say anything as I continued to look forward. After a while, Andrea came and released me from what. "Emily." she said. "What?" I said, as I didn't bother to turn around. "Nothin', nevermind." she said as I went to the firepit and sat down. After a while of sitting, I got up and headed towards our tent. _Lord, why did Daryl have to move it so far away, I mean, seriously. _ "The whole point of me coming up here's to get away from you people." I heard Daryl say to Dale as I walked up. "It's gonna take more than that." Dale said. I walked past him with a smile and reached into the tent and grabbed our dirty laundry.

"Carol send ya?" I heard him ask from inside the tent. "Carol's not the only one that's concerned about you. Your new role in the group." he simply replied. I just scrunched my face in confusion as I gathered all the clothes, dropping some in the process. I heard a thunk as I saw my mothers license on the ground. I picked it up as the conversation continued outside the tent. I wiped my fingers across it as I thought of her. Even though it was only four years, she meant a lot. I wanted her back, especially now that she had been alive, but didn't bother to tell me. I shook my head of my thoughts and stepped outside the tent.

"You act like you don't care." Dale said. Daryl dropped some sticks and said, "Yeah, it's cause I don't." He put on his angel winged vest and Dale asked, "So you don't care what happens to Randall?" He picked up his crossbow as I awkwardly stood with clothes in my hands. "Nope." he said, simply. "So why don't you side with me?" he said,a matter of factly. Daryl tried to fix the collar on his jacket while he said, "Didn't beg you for a desperate son of a bitch." Dale said nothing of it as he said, "Your opinion makes a difference." I set the clothes down on the ground and fixed his collar, annoyed at the fact he was still fooling with it. "Man, ain't nobody lookin' to me fer anythin'." he replied as he locked eyes with me, thanking me. "Carol and Emily, is. I am right now, too. And obviously, you have Rick's ear." he said as Daryl began walking away. This stopped him however and as he turned around he said, "Rick looks to Shane. Let him." He turned back around and began stalking off to the woods whenever he said, "You cared about what happened to Sophia, cared what it meant to the group." Daryl turned around with a grimace on his face, him chewing his lower lip.

_Just shut up Dale, and move on. Please, that's all I ask. _"Torturing people, that isn't you. You're a decent man. So is Rick. Shane he's different." Dale said, moving his hands to illustrate his point. "Why's that? Cause he killed Otis?" Daryl said as began walking over to the two of us. _The hell Daryl?! You never told me that! Granted I thought something was off, but never that! _"He tell you that?" Dale asked, speaking softly. "Told some story how Otis covered him-saved his ass. He showed up with the dead guy's gun. Rick ain't stupid. If he didn't figure that out, it's cause he didn't wanna. Like I said, this group's broken." he said as he turned on his heel and began walking again.

I picked up the clothes and patted Dale on the shoulder as we both made our way back to the camp. I took our clothes over to the washing bin and began working. I was about half way done with the clothes whenever I heard Carol cry out in horror. Rick walked quickly over to them as Carol briskly walked away. _Wonder what that was about? _I shook my head and went back to the bin. My thoughts flew to Mom and Sophia. _Why did this happen the way it did? Why didn't I get to spend time with them? This was just completely unfair. _After I finished all of the clothes, I picked them back up and walked to our tent, me silently cursing at how far away we'd moved.

I began laying Daryl's shirts over the branches of a nearby tree and did the same with mine as well. I heard Carl come out from the woods as I hollered out, "What are you doin' kid?" He just continued to walk past me as I let out a scoff. _The hell's his problem? _I just let out a sigh as I saw Rick beckon me to come with his hand. I picked up my knife and bow, not bothering to pick up the pistol that Daryl had put in the saddlebag earlier. I walked up the stairs and into the familiar farmhouse and positioned myself near the door, opposite of Carol. Glenn was the first to speak, "So how do we do this? We just take a vote?" "Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea fired back. "How about majority rules?" Lori said.

Rick quickly shot them down as he rubbed his temples and said, "Well let's just see where everybody stands and then we can talk through the options." _of course. Can I just be left out? I could care less about what happened to him. I didn't like him, nor did the people here. Granted, killing him would be awful and something we'd have to live with daily. _Of course Shane was the first one to speak up. "Well, where I sit there's only one way to move forward." _Killing? _"Killing him, right? I mean why even take a vote? It's clear which way the winds blowing." Dale said, sounding upset. _Poor Dale. All he wanted was peace, but with us, he'd never get it. People have changed, a great deal. _"Well if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know." Rick said, cutting the two off.

"I can tell ya it's a small group- maybe just me and Glenn." Dale said, looking at the floor. I looked to Glenn and saw him look towards Dale. "Look, I-I think you're pretty much right about everything all the time, but this-" Before he could finish, Dale interrupted with, "They've got you scared." Glenn continued with, "He's not one of us. And we've- we've lost too many people already." Dale just nodded and turned as he talked to Maggie. "Just 'nother mouth to feed." I heard Daryl say as I came back from zoning out. "May be a lean winter." Hershel said as I zoned out once again, not paying any attention whatsoever. "So the answer is to kill him for a crime he may not even commit! If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead, there's no civilization. " Dale said as I came back into the conversation. Countless people muttered as I said, "Can you drive him further out?" Lori was quick to shoot me down, "They barely came back this time. There's walkers, you could break down. Get lost."

_Lovely. _"Or ambushed." Daryl quickly threw in. I locked my eyes on to him as he told me not to fight in this situation. Patricia's voice quickly caught our attention as she asked, "If you were to go through with it, how would you do it? Would he suffer?"

My eyes went to the floor to inspect my shoes as Shane said, "We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck?" Both our eyes went to Rick as he said, "I thought about that. Shooting may be more humane."_ Oh yes, way more humane. Please. _"And what about the body?" T-Dog asked, bringing up a good point. Before anyone had time to think Dale was screaming, "Hold on! Hold on! You're talking about this like it's already decided!" I was about to say something whenever Daryl cut me off, "You've been talkin' all day, goin' round in circles, you just wanna go round in circles again?" he said, moving his fingers to show the effect.

Dale had finally had enough as he said, "This is a young man's life! It deserves more than a five minute conversation! Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You three saved him and now look at us!" he said, looking to me in particular. My eyes dropped to my knuckles to see the bruising. "He's been tortured. He's gonna be executed. How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?" Everyone's faces dawned in shock as Dale brought up a huge point. He was right, he was honestly right. Everyone was quiet for a few minutes, but of course Shane broke it. "We know what needs to be done." "NO, Dale is right." I said, shocking everyone. "We haven't come up with a viable option yet. I wish we could." Andrea said, mouthing off.

_Just when I thought I liked you Andrea. Just when. _"So let's come up with one!" Dale hollered, shocking everyone. "Stop, just stop it." Carol said, breaking everyone up. All eyes turned to her as she voiced her opinion. _Like she had anything good to say anyways. _"I'm sick of everybody fighting." _Bitch please. _"I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide either or both or one of you, but leave me out." She receded back into the doorway as Rick said, "Anybody that wants the floor before we make the decision has the chance." I said nothing as no one said anything. "You once said that we don't kill the living." _That was before the living tried to kill us, Dale. _Rick spoke my thoughts aloud. "But if we do this, the people that we were-the world that we knew is dead! And this new world is ugly! It's harsh. It's-it's survival of the fittest! That's a world that I don't wanna live in. I don't believe any of you do." We all looked at Dale as tears formed in his eyes.

"Please, let's just do what's right. Isn't there anyone else that's going to stand with me?" he said, exasperated. "I am somewhat, but nowhere near entirely." I said, shocking most everyone. Everyone was quiet as I looked to Dale with sorrow in my face and tears pooled in my eyes. _This was Dale, the man that had done so much for me. _He just nodded as he understood my dilemma. "Are y'all gonna watch too?" he said, incredulously. "Nah, y'all will just hide your heads in your tent and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being. I won't be a party to it." he said as he walked to the door. My hand went out to touch him as he slowly touched my hand and said, "Your right Daryl, this group is broken," and walked out the door, me trailing behind.

Dale ran to the RV as I tried to get it, but thought against it, thinking he'd want his own time. I decided to go to our tent and relax. I laid there for a while sitting in silence until I heard the men moving Randall into the barn. I walked out munching on a cooked squirrel Daryl had roasting on the fire. He looked towards the tent as I nodded to him, letting him know that I thought it was okay, even if I really thought it wasn't. The poor kid, was just ugh. I don't know what I would've done with him if I had to make the choice. I just shook my head and sat down on a placed log next to the fire. I quietly munched on my squirrel when I got an unfamiliar feeling in my stomach. _Something was wrong. I never got this feeling unless something bad was about to go down. Really bad. _I just shook my head and thought maybe it's the whole Randall situation. I waited for about ten minutes, before I looked back at the barn. It'd been a while, you'd expect them to already be done with the 'problem'. I shook my head and started moving towards the barn, as slow as I could. I walked past the group's campire and crossed Dale. "Dale," I began, walking close to him.

"Emily, I'd rather not hear it, but thank you for being on my side somewhat. Never ever let someone else voice your opinion." he said, looking at the ground. I went to the side and hugged him. "Thank you Dale, for just being you." I said with a smile as I pulled away. "Anything for you Emily. You're a good, sweet girl. Don't let this world change you, you hear me?" he said pointing at my head. "Of course, Dale. I never would let it." I said as I let out a chuckle. We both parted ways as I saw the three men walk out of the tent, a shot never having gone off. I briskly walked up to Rick and was about to ask what happened whenever he practically ran past me and went to Lori. "What happened?" I said as Daryl came to stand by me. "Carl was wanting to watch. Told Rick to shoot him." he said. My mouth flew open in shock as I wheeled around to see Rick talking to Carl.

"Someone needs to teach that kid a thing or two. Little twerp didn't even tell me where he came from when he walked out the woods." I said looking at the ground. "Tha woods?" Daryl asked, making me raise my face. "Yeah, I was hanging up your clothes and he walked outta the woods, lookin' angry. Who knows? He is just a kid after all." I said, beginning to turn towards our tent. "Hey, wanna go to the bike and grab the pistol outta the saddlebag?" he asked, making me stop. "Sure, but what for?" I asked, looking confused. "I know you better, somethin's up. What you want yer pistol for?" He just shook his head and said, "Somethin' don't feel right. If these run out I want it." he said, motioning to his and my bow. I just nodded and ran to the bike.

I searched all through the saddlebag's and couldn't find. I even looked in the tent, and it wasn't there. Daryl was going to be pissed. I ran back to him, him still standing in front of the barn. He began to reach his hand out but returned it back whenever he saw I didn't have it on me. "Wasn't in the saddlebag or the tent. Someone must have got it." I said looking around, running my hands along the sides of my arms, the darkness of night creeping in on my skin. Daryl just let out a scoff and threw his hands in the air. "The hell someone take ma pistol for!" He placed his hands back down on his strap of his crossbow and motioned for us to go to the tent and get some sleep. We were just about to tent whenever we heard Dale scream out in pain. _What the fuck was going on!?_


	27. Chapter 27

_**AN: Thank you soooo much for the reviews it means so much to me! Now that it's spring, it means I'm a little busy body with mud bogs and marching band and won't have the time to update as much as I used to, but since I love all of my followers of this story, I'll sacrifice my sleep time for you. (; Feel special,lol. Now I have colorguard, marching band, mud bogs, and finals coming up here soon. **_

_**Anyways, I hope you really like this chapter. However this is where I'm going to be breaking off from the show somewhat and throwing in my own little twists and turns. I am going to keep the governor in there and the prison. That's one of the things I'm the most excited to write about. So if you're still reading this, please leave me a review and tell me anything. I don't care if it's a smiley face or a full paragraph. Just something to let me know that you are reading this and you like it.  
**_

_**Thank you so much lovelies!**_

_**-HayleyJune13**_

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Daryl and I took off as fast as we could towards the screaming. "T-DOG! Shotgun now!" I heard Rick holler as Daryl and I were halfway to Dale already. _Something terrible was happening. Something terrible. _I threw open the gate to the pasture whenever Andrea and the others had caught up with me. "Dale!" we screamed, trying our hardest to get to him. _Please, let Dale be okay. Please. _The closer we got the louder the screams became and I just knew that he wasn't going to be okay. However, I still continued running as fast as I could, Daryl hot on my heels. My eyes searched for Dale, seeing a disgusting, vile walker perched on top, Dale fighting as hard as he could. Daryl tackled the walker and stabbed him through the head as I slid next to Dale on the ground, completely oblivious to the scratches the rocks left on my legs.

"Oh god, Dale." I said, my eyes tearing up seeing the man I had grown to love dieing in front of me, without me being capable to do anything. "Help! Over here!" Daryl screamed out, waving his hands for the others to see. Rick and Shane were the first to run up to us. "Oh my god." they both let out, seeing Dale slowly dieing. "Alright, just listen to my voice," Rick began as I felt Daryl's hands softly grab my shoulders and pull me back. "Just listen to me. Get Hershel!" he screamed as my hand went to my mouth. I felt Daryl walk to the other side as Rick screamed that he needed Hershel again. My medical senses went into overdrive as I pushed them down to the ground as Hershel finally came up to us, panting the whole way. I looked over his body to see his entire midriff completely torn to pieces. There was no way that he would survive this.

No way. "We can't move him." I told Rick. "You have to do the operation here." Rick said, grabbing onto my shoulder, fear evident in his voice. Hershel shook his head, despite Rick's effort to save Dale's life. "No!" he screamed out, his sobs adding to the numerous others lingering around Dale. I leaned my head down to Dale and said, "Our father who art thou in heaven, hollowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen." I kissed his forehead and leaned back up, once again looking over his injuries. _There was no way he was going to make it._

I shook my head and let my eyes water with tears. I slowly stood and walked towards the back of the group, unable to see any more of what had just happened. _I said my goodbye._ Even throughout all the sobs, I heard Carl's footsteps behind me. I heard him let out a sob as he ran to his mother. Andrea's voice brought me back to Dale, "He's suffering." Dale let out an excess amount of moans as I shut my eyes and tried to block the sounds out. I opened my eyes and saw Rick pull out his python. _God no. this isn't how Dale should've died. He still has plenty of life to live! _I let out a sob before I even realized I was crying. I felt movement beside me as Daryl brushed his hand past mine and took Rick's pistol from him. He looked at me as I nodded, and turned back to Dale. He got down on one knee and placed the gun inches away from his forehead. A simple, "Sorry brother," rang out as the gun went off and my eyes flew shut.

"Dale could- could get under your skin," Rick began as my stomach turned with nausea. "I'd look at Dale and he'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could always read us." _If he only knew how Dale felt most times. _My eyes fluttered to the grave in front of us."He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us-" _Ain't that the truth. _"The truth." Rick said. My eyes fluttered across the grave to see Daryl peering at Carol. "Who we really are." Rick continued speaking. My face flustered as I took in a sharp breath, trying to control the nausea. "In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken."

I took in a sharp breath as a tear rolled down my face. I quickly wiped it away and looked out into the pastures. "The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safety. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong." _This was too much to take in at once. Sure, we just lost Sophia and Dale, but I lost my mother too. I wonder what they would do if they knew that. _Rick's voice brought me from my thoughts. "From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale." he said as we all broke away from the grave. I walked towards the house, intending on sitting in a rocking chair to ease the nausea. However Rick's voice broke me away.

"Emily, could you come here?" he asked, looking at the ground, still upset form the eulogy. "Yes?" I asked, breathing through my nose. "Would you mind going with T-Dog, Shane, Andrea and Daryl to kill off any walkers on the land. We're using Otis's truck." he whispered, the last part quieter than the other. "Sure." I said as he patted my shoulder. I took off to the tent and grabbed my knife and bow, seeing as how the pistol was gone. I came back to the truck and hopped in the bed, waiting for the others to come. Daryl and T-Dog came first and hopped in the bed with me, while Andrea got in the passengers seat and Shane driving. We came upon a clearing as Daryl thought tracking would be the best. We all followed until he found tracks and pointed ahead. There was seven walkers chewing on a cow that had been overpowered. I let out a grunt as I ran to the nasty walker and impaled it with Daryl's hunting knife. As he fell to the ground, I saw Andrea do the same. _All of this, for Dale. _

After we cleared those out and a couple more places, we checked all the fences and everything, not wanting a single walker on this land ever again. I hopped back into the bed of the truck and sat opposite of the guys, leaning my back against the cab. I closed my eyes and leaned back, smelling the dead air all around us. It smelt something awful. I leaned my head back up and opened my eyes, readjusting them to the sun. Damn Georgia weather was beautiful but terrible all at the same time. I cleared my throat as we pulled up to the farm. I hopped down out of the truck bed and onto the ground, holding onto my bow with dear life. Especially after Dale's death, I was going to carry this thing with me wherever I went.

"Everyone gather round." Rick began. "I want to move these trucks round the perimeter. T-Dog you go take watch and look around." T nodded before pointing his finger towards the shed. "What bout our prisoner over there?" Rick calmly said, "I want you, Emily, and Daryl on double duty." I just nodded my head as everyone scuffled around trying to multitask all at once. Most everyone had a job when Andrea asked about patrols. "Shane'll make a schedule and then me, Daryl, and Emily take him off site and cut him loose." She nodded and took off, while I stood still, watching the shed. Everyone else took off towards the house while I told T-Dog I'd take first watch. Daryl looked over to me as I just nodded. I scampered off and stood in front while I watched them all walk in their own directions.

After a while, I finally had enough of watching Randall.. I looked up to see Daryl, who Rick had placed to cover up the whole in the roof. "I'm heading in, where's your stuff?" He just pointed at the tent as I said, "Be careful, and don't you fall." He nodded once again as I walked up and into the farmhouse. "You can put your stuff in my room." I heard Maggie say. I looked around the corner to hear Glenn say, "With your dad in the house? I'll just put my stuff over here." _Wow, way to go there Glenn. You could'a got some action, but nope, not anymore. _I just shook my head as I peaked around the corners, looking for a place to lay. Thank God that Herschel was nice enough to let us sleep in the house.

T-Dog was trying to open the door as I ran forward and grabbed the handle. "Here, you go. Make it easier on you." I said with a smile on my face. "Thank ya girl." he said as he walked up the stairs towards the bedrooms. Thinking of the stairs reminded me of a shower. _I need a shower, and bad. I'll __go out hunting and find a creek or something to clean off somewhere. I'd hate to take more than I already have from them. It just wasn't like me. I feel in debt to them. _I walked back down to the shed and watched as Daryl finished up with the shed. "You feel like comin' down anytime soon, redneck?" I shouted up, blocking the bright sun with my hand. "Think we're about to-" I said, pointing to the door. He nodded and said, "Think so. Give me a minute, woman." I watched as he climbed down the ladder and landed on the ground with a thud. We walked back to the farmhouse together and sat on the front porch, while waiting for Rick.

_If we were able to do this without any walkers, this moment would've been absolutely perfect. _"Alright, I got the plan." Rick said as he walked up with a map. Me and Daryl both walked over and leaned across the map. "Take him to Senoia-one hour there, one hour back give or take. We may loose the light" he said. "But we'll definitely be halfway home by then." I said, finishing his thoughts. "Yeah, then this little pain in the ass'll be a distant memory. Good riddance." Daryl said, standing straight up and looking into the field. "Carol's putting together some provisions for him, enough to last him a few days." Rick said, as I let out a scoff and Daryl sat down.

"That thing you did last night-" Rick began, looking towards Daryl. I crossed my arms and looked at my boots, unwilling to meet their eyes. "Ain't no reason ya should do all the heavy liftin'." Daryl just said, as I bit a fingernail. Rick cleared his throat as I looked up, "So are you good with all this?" Daryl just shook his head and said, "I don't see you and I tradin' hay-makers on the side of tha road. Nobody'd win that fight." I just nodded as he brought up a good point. Either way, we weren't going to win. Shane pulled up in his little green car and he started walking up towards us. Daryl took the map he was holding and placed it on the rail and said, "I'ma take a piss." I let out a snort as Rick just smiled.

"Hey man, you seen Carl lately?" Shane said, as soon as he walked up. "He's inside, with his mother." he said, turning to the door and back. "Listen, he came to me. I wasn't supposed to say anythin', but he was out in the swamps yesterday, and came cross a walker in the mud." I_n the swamps? He must've been coming out of the woods whenever I was at my tent! That was where he was. Makes perfect sense now, the whole secretive thing too. And please, a walker?! The fuck were you thinking Carl?!_ "Anyways, he got scared, run off." Rick didn't say anything but just said, "Same walker that killed Dale?" _Holy shit. _"That's the one." Shane said, nodding his head. "I'll have Lori talk to him." Rick started, but before he could get anything else in, Shane cut him off. "I think he needs a talk with his father."

"Well I need this Randall thing done already." Rick said. Shane let out a long sigh and said, "Man, that needs to wait, okay?" I crossed my arms and changed the way I was standing and let out a huff. "Man, this is my call." Shane just looked over to the side and said, "How bout I ride out with Daryl? Be good for us to spend a little time together." _Fuck no. Daryl is not leaving with Randall with just Shane with him. No way in hell. _Rick must've read my thoughts and said, "Nah, I need you here." Shane quickly said, "Don't think I'll handle it right? What you say? You know- your son, he gave me this," as he pulled out Daryl's pistol. _Seriously, Carl took it? Little kid musta took it when I was hanging up Daryl's pants. The only time I ever had my back turned. Or it must've been whenever neither one of us was there. _

"You should give that back to Daryl, huh?" he said as he pointed to me. "Freein' that prisoner, more important to you than Carl." he said, as he turned on his heel and walked away. _Asshole. _I took the gun off of the rail and tucked it into the back of my pants. "Don't listen to him. I know how much you care for Carl. Shane's goin' off his rocker. Somethin' ain't right." I said as I went and sat on the railing. "I know," was all he said as he took off inside. I closed my eyes as I let the sweet smell of Georgia run through my nose. Thank God, right here didn't smell like walkers. I heard Daryl's and Rick's voices as T-Dog handed Daryl a gun. "Wish I knew where the hell mine was." I let out a snicker as I stood up and grabbed my bow. "You ready?" Rick asked as I walked down the steps and met them at the tailbed of the truck. "Yep." we said as I got my bow and everything else ready. I was strapping on my canteen whenever I heard T-Dog scream, "HELL NO!" I took off running before Daryl or Rick could even start. "The fuck's wrong T?" I said as we ran back to the others. "Randall's missing."

We ran back to the shed and checked everywhere where he could have gotten out. There was nowhere. _How the fuck did he get out?! _Daryl and I walked around looking for any holes, but not seeing any. I was peering at the wall whenever I heard five or six footsteps walk up behind us. "What's wrong?" Lori asked. "Randall's missin'." I said as one of her hands went to her mouth, the other to her stomach. _Aww, that precious little baby. As if we didn't have enough to worry about. Like your kid fucking running off. _I walked back over to Rick. "Cuffs are still hooked, he must've slipped 'em." He just nodded and said, "Door was secured from the outside." I turned around to get all of my surroundings in whenever I saw movement in the trees. I tapped Daryl on the arm and said, "You see that?" He just looked for a couple of seconds, before turning back to Rick.

I shook it off and turned around. Moments later a "Rick! Rick!" was being hollered out from the woods. I turned on my heel as fast as I could to see Shane walking outta the woods with a bloody, broken nose. _Something's not right here. _I looked to Daryl to see him analyzing the situation as well. "He's armed! He's got my gun!" he said as he began walking up to us. Carl asked, "Are you okay?" He just nodded and said, "I'm fine! Little bastard snuck up on me. Clocked me in the face!" I shook my head and tried to get my thoughts together. _How'd he slip the cuffs? The door wasn't even open, either. _Alright Hershel T-Dog, get them back in the house. Glenn, Daryl, Emily, come with us." I slung my bow off my shoulder and was about to take off before Andrea said, "She gets to go?"

I just scoffed and said, "Get yer ass back in the house and come out whenever someone other than Shane teaches you how to shoot." She looked offended before spinning on her heel and running back to the house. "Don't go out there! Y'all know what can happen! Wasn't that the plan, to let him go?" Carol, asked innocently. "Yeah, thirty miles from here. Not on our loud." I said with menace. _I really don't need their shit right now. We had a problem and it was fucking huge. _We all took off into the woods as I said, "He couldn't have gotten far. He's hobbled and exhausted." "And armed. Can either one of you track him?" I shook my head and Daryl said, "No, I don't see nothin'." Shane jumped into the converstaion and said, "There ain't no use trackin' him, he went that way." _The hell? _I raised my eyebrows at Daryl who did just the same.

"Kid weighs a buck twenty five soakin' wet. Tryin' to tell us he got the jump on you?" Daryl asked, spinning around. "I'd say a rock pretty much evens those odds, wouldn't you?" Shane spat back. "Knock it off. Glenn you go with Daryl. Emily come with me and Shane." I just nodded my head and looked at Daryl. "Careful," I whispered under my breath as I let my hand brush his as we both took off in seperate ways. "You too." I heard under his breath. We walked for a ways before I said, "This way feel right to you?" Shane nodded and said, "As right as any." I saw a break in the trees as Shane let us into an open field.

"Doors were shut when T-Dog rolled up." I said out loud, for no one in particular to hear. They talked some more before Rick said, "This is where you planned to do it?" _Planned to do what? I'm observant, but what am I missing? _"At least have the balls to call this what it is-murder." he said. Shane pulled out his gun as I instantly loaded my bow and pointed it at Shane. This was Rick we're talking about here! "You really think that if you walk back onto that farm alone with Em, you really believe they're gonna buy some bullshit story you think up!" I stood shell shocked as Shane's next words came out loud and clear, "Lori and Carl, they'll get over you. They done it before." The words, "You heartless sonuvabitch came out before Rick held up his hand to calm me down. "You're gonna kill me in cold blood? Screw my wife, have my children-MY children call you daddy? Is that what you want? That life won't be worth a damn! I know you. You won't be able to live with this." Shane got all defensive and said, "How do you know what I can live with!? What I live with! Here I am!" He put the safety on his gun and put it in the front of his pants.

"Come on man, raise your gun." Rick shook his head as Shane said, "What happened Rick? I thought you weren't the good guy anymore, ain't that what you said?" _Okay, I definitely missed that somewhere. What the hell's he talking about? _"Even right here right now, you ain't gon fight for 'em? I'ma better father than you Rick! I'm better for Lori than you man! Cause I'ma better man than you Rick. I'll fight for it, but you just come back here and you just destroy everything!" I let out a scoff and tightened my grip on my bow. If Rick didn't make it, neither would Shane.

"You got a broken woman, a weak boy. Raise your gun." he said as he cocked his gun and aimed it at Rick. I took a step closer and pointed my cross hairs right at his head. "You're gonna have to kill an unarmed man, Shane." Rick said, as he held his hands up. "See, watch my hand." he said afterwards as Shane continued to get closer. I started to circle Shane before I even realized it. He was the prey, and I'd take him down if I had to. "Your pathetic Rick, and you deserve to die!" Shane said as he pulled the trigger, but I didn't hear a scream of pain until I opened my eyes to see Shane lying on the ground, a stab wound to his stomach. Rick was lying. He was most definitely armed.

"You did this!" Rick began screaming as Shane lay dying in the pasture. After a few minutes of Rick's sobbing, Shane had finally died. I touched Rick's shoulder and beckoned for him to get up. "Come on. It's way to dark out here to be doin' this. Let's just go home and settle what happened with him." I said, motioning to Shane with my head. He just nodded and was getting up whenever I heard Carl's footsteps. "Carl, what the hell are you doin' here!" I screamed out as he pointed a gun towards us. "Carl, what the fuck are you doin'!" I hollered as Rick tried to get him to put the gun down. "The hell Carl!" I screamed once again. All of a sudden a sudden bang shot out as my eyes instantly shut. _Please, don't let me die. I haven't said my goodbyes yet. _

I opened my eyes to see all three of us standing, however Shane was crumpled right behind my legs. I let out a scream as I covered my mouth. "How's that possible." I muttered, shocked. Rick shook his head and said, "I have no clue, but we have a bigger problem." "Oh really, what would that be!" I shouted, and he instantly shushed me. I looked over and saw him pointing at the massive hoard of fifty to hundred walkers, all making their way toward the place we'd been calling home. _Time to find Daryl and get the fuck outta here. _


	28. Chapter 28

_**AN: Here you go my lovelies! Please review to let me know that you are reading my story! :D See how much you like Daryl after this chapter. (;**_

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Carl broke into sobs while Rick and I both shushed him. "Carl, honey, we got a bigger problem. Now you're going to have to be quiet, ya hear?" I said as I slowly walked closer to him. "I don't wanna frighten you, but we have about fifty to a hundred sum odd walkers on our backs headin' towards the farm. Come on now," I said, pulling him away as Rick followed suit. "We gotta get to the house,"Carl whispered as we come up on the pasture the closest to the house." _No way. _"There's no way Carl, just go." I said as I ushered him to the barn "Stay close to Em." Rick said. _What the hell was up with this Em thing? No one called me that except for Daryl. _I shook my head and quietly ran to the shed, the others following pursuit.

I slammed the barn doors shut and placed a wood to latch them. _How the hell am I going to get to Daryl? _I looked around the barn, looking for anything that might be useful. _Gasoline. _"Carl, Rick get that gasoline and spread it round the barn. I got a light. I'll let the walkers in and we'll escape through the loft. Set the hole place ablaze." Rick nodded as he and Carl both did their jobs. I watched the door and trained my bow at the door, just in case they got through before they were done with the job. "Ready" I questioned Rick whenever he joined me at the door. He nodded and started screaming and shouting. "HEY! WE'RE IN HERE!" On the count of three Rick and I pulled on the doors letting them come in. We ran up the ladder to the loft and stood as all of them filed in.

"Now!" I heard Rick holler as a walker grabbed a hold of my leg. I kicked as hard as I could, the walker's head spinning to the ground. All of the walkers at the bottom of the barn caught on fire. _Surely by now someone should realize that we are in here. Please. Daryl come save us. _All three of us stood and watched as the walkers were burned alive. _Better than wasting countless bullets and arrows. _"What the hell do we do now?!" Rick shouted as a number of walkers joined around the back of the barn. _Hell, some are smarter than others. Seems like the more they live, they adapt. Hell, they aren't alive, but god. Adaptive little bastards. _"Uhm, we can shoot these off!" I hollered above the rising flames. As soon as I pulled my quiver off my back, the RV came barreling behind the barn, Jimmy in the front seat.

"Jump on the roof!" Rick hollered as I went first, Carl following me. As soon we all landed, we tried to make our way down but before we could, a walker got on the ladder and walked straight through the door of the RV, trapping Jimmy inside. I heard a scream as I bowed my head and let out a sigh. _There was the first death, and please let it be the only. _Rick and I cleared enough of the walkers to make our way down. "Carl, you follow me and take off to the woods. Em, do what you have to." I nodded my head and dodged countless walkers and made my way up to the house. "He's gonna need his mother, now come on!" I heard Carol yell at Lori. "LORI!" I screamed out. She quickly ran over to me, "Carl's with his dad, he's safe." She let out a sigh of relief and tried to pull me on.

"No." I said, "I'm gonna find Daryl and our things. I'll meet up with you, go!" I hollered. They all took off in the opposite direction, except for Carol. "What the hell you doin' woman!" I hollered as I saw her fence herself against the side of a shed. I popped off two shots with my arrow before I heard her scream, "Look out!" I felt my knees hit the floor as a ugly walker landed himself on top of me. "Not today, you asshole!" I screamed as I squirmed around for my knife. As soon as my fingers grabbed the hilt, I threw it upwards, impaling the walker through the eye, permanently ending his life. I threw him off me and got up, looking around for Carol. My eyes quickly found her, riding on the back of Daryl's motorcycle.

My heart instantly broke into pieces as I remembered his comment he once told me. I took off in the direction of him, waving my arms frantically. Tears ran down my face as I ran out onto the road that led away from the farm and back to the highway. Thankfully, Carol noticed me. "Daryl!" I screamed out, my lungs burning with exhaustion. _Thank God, I'd tried track one year. _Carol just shook her head as they took off in the opposite direction. Even more tears flooded my eyes as I searched for the way out of the farm. Knowing the guys, they'll go to their only landmark. _The highway where we lost Sophia. _I pumped my legs into overdrive, heading for the highway.

–

After countless run ins with walkers, I finally saw a clearing in the trees. I threw myself against the last walker that was following me, sinking my knife into it's brain, killing it. I got back up and headed towards the car that was pulling up. "Rick." I said, trying to yell but my voice not catching his attention. I tried to run, but my knees were far too weak to walk. Each breath I took hurt my lungs even more than I thought possible. I finally mustered up enough power as I screamed out, "Rick, Hershel!" This finally caught their attention as they both came, running as fast as they could to me.

"My god Em, what happened to you!" Rick said as I leaned on a car for support. "Water," I croaked out, nearly passing out. Carl ran off somewhere and brought me back a half empty bottle. I started to slowly drink from it, knowing if I drank it to fast, I'd throw it back up. "Went to find Daryl. Carol on back of bike." I said, catching my breath and intending to sit down. Instead I fell down. "Woah, woah woah now." Rick said. I layed limp in his arms as everything was just too much. I began crying as I tried to recollect my thoughts. "Rick." I croaked out. "Yeah?" he asked. "Am I bit anywhere? Been runnin' so hard, I don't know." I said. "You mind waitin' til one of the girls or Daryl's here?" He asked, clearly uncomfortable.

"Sure, I'll wait." I said as I tried to sit up. Both Rick and Hershel, propped me up while Carl went to get me something to eat. My ears tuned out most of Rick and Hershel's conversation until I heard Hershel say, "I can't profess to understand God's plan, but Christ promised a resurrection of the dead. I just thought he had a little something different in mind." I let out a scoff as I said, "In nomine patri, et fili, spiritus sancti." Hershel looked over at me, and said, "You're Catholic?" "Better word should be, was." I said, taking another drink of water. I capped the lid back on and stood up, still a tad wobbley.

"You okay?" Carl asked, extremely loud. "Carl, honey, I'm fine, but this area ain't safe, pipe down some, son." He just rolled his eyes and said, "Fine." I let out a scoff and said, "Roll yer eyes too much an they'll stay back there forever." Rick looked at me and just let out a "shh" as a walker made his way towards us. We quickly walked around it, me bringing up the rear. _Damn Daryl. I thought we were supposed to get out of there together. Well so much for that right. Oh and don't even make me think of Carol. Stupid bitch. _"It's not safe here, we need to leave." Rick said, explaining to Carl that no matter how much he wants Lori, we needed to leave to get someplace safe. However he was stopped short whenever the sound of a motorcycle was heard in the distance.

_Daryl. _I stood up fully, without the support of the car to see everyone coming in. Meeting up at the only landmark we had. At least they had some sense. Everyone ran to each other as soon as they were parked, except for me. I stood my ground and leaned up against the back of the truck, out of sight from everyone, taking in what had happened. I finally just got over the fact that I survived. I took another swig of water and watched as all the families reunited, tears of happiness and sadness coming out. "Where'd you find everyone?" Rick asked. "Saw these guys taillights zig-zagging all over the road. Figured he had to be Asian, drivin' like that." I heard my now least favorite redneck say. "But uh, is this all that's here?" _Wow, looking for me now Daryl?_

"We're the only ones here so far." Rick said. Lori asked, "Shane?" I stepped out from behind the car and said, "No. He uh, didn't." I saw the look of relief fill Daryl's eyes as I looked at him with hurt. He looked shocked, but covered it well as I looked to the ground. "Emily?" Carol asked. "What?" I said, looking up. "What about Andrea? Wasn't she with you?" I shook my head. "She saved me and then I thought she went with you." She said as Daryl looked at her. I shoved my hands in my back pocket as I looked in the distance at the sun sitting in the sky. "Patricia?" I asked, caring for the woman. "They took her too." Beth said, tears instantly welling in her eyes. _On top of loosing all those people before, she lost others as well. I only felt sorrow for her. _"What about Jimmy?" she asked.

Rick shook his head as she took another loss. "Are you sure Andrea went down?" Carol asked once again, as I took my hands out from my pockets and began rubbing my face. "There was walkers everywhere." Lori said. "She wadn't in the woods with me. I mean I was running high on adrenaline, but I would've definitely heard her." I said as I changed my footing, trying to not to fall over. "You okay?" Glenn asked. I wanted to speak my mind, tell them all about how I wasn't. About how, Carol saw me and certainly was just going to leave me there, but I didn't. "Somewhat." I said as I looked at Hershel. All of a sudden my legs gave way as I hit the pavement, swears leaving my mouth.

"Sorry Carl." I said as pulled my legs up and placed my wrists on them. Daryl came over to me but I quickly swatted him away. "I'm fine." I said. "Just a little exhausted from running all the way here from the farm." Everyone's faces filled with shock as they took in the sight of the broken me. "I'm going back to get her." Daryl said as he walked away from me and to his bike. "No." I said. "We ain't gonna just leave her there!" he raised his voice to me. "We don't even know if she's there. She's either dead or someplace else that ain't here." I said, anger dripping out of my voice. _He's never raised his voice at me. _Rick quickly took care of the situation and said, "We need to move. This place is crawling with walkers." Daryl slung his crossbow off his back and said, "Yeah sons of bitches like this one. I got him." He let the arrow pass through his head and him land on the ground before he retrieved the bolt.

"Let's move." I said, as I stood up with the help of Glenn. I saw Maggie look at me through the corner of her eye. "Ride with the people you came with or family." Rick said. I let out a laugh, "You think I'm runnin', yer a funny man Rick Grimes." He let out a small smile and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Ride with us." I took off towards the truck and hopped in, my legs and feet protesting the whole way. I quickly stretched my legs out in the backseat, taking up Carl's leg room. "Hey kid." I said as he tried to get in the seat. "Hold on a second and I'll let you in." I moved my feet slowly as I watched him itch to get in the seat. "Here." I said with a smile as he hopped in. "Wanna tell me some stories to knock me out?" I said with a huge grin. "Sure thing, Em." he said. I let out a sigh. Everyone would be calling me that soon enough.

I sat up straight whenever I saw all the adults huddled around, talking in a serious manner. I stuck my head out the window. "Okay, look. I hate to be that person, but can we please get the fuck out of here?" I said, covering Carl's ears. They just sighed as I watched them disperse. I felt Daryl and Carol's stare on me the whole time, but I didn't acknowledge it. _I'll let her get one this time. But she better be praying to whatever God she wanted to, cause it wouldn't help her none. As for Daryl, who knows what I'll do. _I crossed my arms and shut my eyes as everyone got into their cars and started them up. I opened up my eyes just for a second to see Lori rest her head against Rick's. _I wonder how many times she did that with Shane? _

I shook my head and ruffled Carl's hair. "Time to get some sleep bud," I said. He nodded and said, "Em, can I lean on you?" I let out a smile and raked my hands through my bangs. "Sure thing bud." I closed my eyes and a couple of seconds later I felt him lay down on me. I heard the familiar roar of Daryl's bike take off as I let the sound drown me off into a deep sleep.

–

I heard Lori and Rick talking in hushed voices as soon as I woke up. "I wonder if Emily will be mad that Carl drooled on her." Lori just let out a chuckle and said, "Did she really run all the way from the woods? And to think that she's older than I am. How'd she do it?" Rick must've done his signature shrug. "She told me that she was goin' to get her things and meet with Daryl. They must've had a plan or something." I felt Rick turn the car as we came around a curve. "She's tough and I'm glad we have her. Plus, she keeps Daryl in line." Both Lori and Rick let out a snicker and said, "Well, sometimes." _oh, if they only knew the hell I was about to give him. They wouldn't be snickering._

"Did you see the look she gave him whenever he went to help her when she fell?" Rick let out a, "No, I was too busy looking at you." I'm sure Lori blushed and said, "Well it wasn't too friendly. If I was in the same place as Emily, I'd give you hell for it too." I heard her lean either backwards or forwards and grabbed something. Next thing I know, a blanket was tossed over the two of us in the backseat. "You know, I don't know much about her." Rick said. "I know somethings about her. She's really good. I can tell she didn't have a good upbringing though. You see the way she's reserved just like Daryl."

I'm sure Rick nodded and then he said, "She put her life in line for Randall. She took that bullet in the arm trying to protect me at the bar. Not to mention what she did for Carl. She's a good woman. I'm just glad she didn't turn out like Merle." _Merle. I wonder how he is. Whether he's alive or dead? I wonder if Daryl has comes to terms with whether or not he was dead. He never told me things like that. I'd have to ask him if I ever wasn't mad at him. I was gonna hold this over him for the longest time._ "How long do you think she was running?" Rick asked Lori. "Well I was with T and it didn't have a clock, but judging by the time, I'd say ten-eleven hours. It was at least seven when y'all went out there." He let out a 'hmm' and just continued driving.

"She's tough. Granted we may not agree on some things, but she definitely knows what needs to get done. Especially after she just did, maybe we should let her take her watches off for tomorrow." Lori suggested. "I might do that." Rick said as I felt Carl stir. "Mom? Dad?" he asked as they both let out a "shh". I'm guessing they thought that I was still asleep. "Where are we going?" he asked, like a typical kid. "No clue son, just getting off the main roads and highways. Can't risk any chances of us running into walkers." "Okay dad," was all he said as he leaned back onto the seat. "How long have we been asleep?" he asked, unable to keep the silence. "A long time. Em's sleeping more than you are, there's somethin' new." Lori said with a chuckle.

"Ha, ha, funny mom." Carl said, sarcastically. After sitting in silence for a few minutes Carl said, "I have to pee Dad." Rick let out a huff as he honked the horn and pulled off to the side of the road. "Carl, come on let's get out. Lori you have to go?" Rick asked. They all got out and walked to the front of the truck while I still layed in the backseat pretending to be asleep. "Hey, will one of y'all wake her up so she knows whats going on?" I heard Rick ask from outside the car. I heard the door open and a hand take the blanket off of me. "Wake up sleepin' beauty." I heard Daryl say. I opened my eyes and stretched smacking him in the chest, completely on purpose. "Sorry." I mumbled and pushed past him and got out of the truck. "We're taking a pit stop. Time to go pee. And use the buddy system!" Rick hollered as I took off, my trusty bow by my side.

I felt Beth come up beside me. "Wanna be my buddy?" she asked, quietly. "Sure thing, Beth!" I said smiling. I felt Daryl's eyes on me as we took off. We done our business and headed back to the cars whenever I heard a growl. One measly walker was staggering it's way towards us. Beth let out a gasp as I said, "It's alright Beth. I wanna try something." I took out my knife. "I've always wanted to do this." I said as I flung my knife, hitting the walker right in the eye. I let out a little victory dance and grabbed the knife back. "Might teach ya that someday." I said as I heard Daryl walk up on us. "Please don't." he said. I let out a scoff as I took Beth's arms and linked them with mine. "Let's go back." She nodded and we took off. As soon as we came up on the road again, I felt her let go. "I'ma hang back." I said. I looked up at the sky and wished I had my stuff from my tent. "The fuck." I said as I heard Daryl walk up next to me. "What?" he said. "Next time you wanna make sure 'we' get out of someplace quick, ain't I supposed to be on the back of that bike?" I said with a huff.

He let out a scoff. "Oh, and uh ask Carol what it was like seeing me go down and then showing up at the only landmark we know. Sure she'll be shocked at what yer askin' hick." I said as I walked off. I heard him let out a gasp. _I hoped that hurt his feelings. Jerk. _He let out a grunt and brushed past me, flinging his shoulder into mine as he walked past. "Let's go." I said to Rick. He nodded as we all hopped back in the trucks. "This is gonna be a long winter," I said to Carl as I fought him for a blanket.


	29. Chapter 29

_**AN: I know that this one is shorter than the past but that is because I'm gearing up for the winter months and the prison. Although somethings are going bad in my school life, but I'm dealing with them the best I can and writing for you guys. You're special,lol. So please leave me a review, anything. I don't care if its bad or good. I love you guys.**_

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The next few hours were spent with Carl telling me endless stories. I'd let out countless laughs, 'aww's and 'how cute's, somewhat of my focus on Carl. Truth be told, I was thinking of Daryl. _How could he do somethin' like that? How could he, even when he said he was gonna find me and get out of there? Not to mention, Carol. How could she even do that to me? I saved her daughter, and well it was Sophia's fault that she ran off after we had found her. So therefore, how could she even think of doing something so terrible to me? _

Rick's long drawn out sigh brought me back from my thoughts. "We're gonna pull over." he said, honking his horn twice to signal the others. I heard all the cars slow down before I hopped out of the truck. My legs still feeling worn out from the run. Rick and Lori made their way towards Daryl as I slowly let up, not wanting to see him just yet. "You out?" he said, barely loud enough for me to hear. "Runnin' on fumes." I said, crossing my arms and standing defensively. "We can't stay here and we can't all fit in one car." Maggie said, checking her shotgun. "We'll have to make a run for some gas in the mornin'." Rick said, surveying the surroundings. "Spend the night here?" Carol asked, running her hands up and down her arms. "I'm freezing." she said as Carl nodded.

_That's what happens when you're on a bike, dumb bitch. _"We'll build a fire." Lori said, comforting Carl. "You go out lookin' for firewood, you stay close. Only got so many arrows, how you doin' on ammo?" Daryl said, already starting to fill in Shane's shoes. _Lord, ain't he just a trip. Asshole didn't even come looking for me. _"Not enough." Rick matter of factly said. "Well we can't just sit here with our asses hangin' out." Maggie said, clearly upsetting Hershel. "Watch your mouth." was all he said as he looked around as well. My eyes scanned the trees as they continued talking. "Glenn and I can go make a run now. Try and scrounge up some gas." Maggie said, earning to help out as much as she could. I shook my head. "No, we stay together." Rick nodded in agreement. "God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car."

"Rick, we're stranded now." Glenn said, looking somewhat scared. "I know it looks bad, but we've been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other. I wasn't sure- I really wasn't, but we did and we're together. We keep it that way." he said, pointing his finger at the ground. _Wonder if he's ever gonna tell them the truth about Shane? Wonder if Carol will ever tell the truth about how she deserted me. Whore. _"We'll find shelter somewhere. There's gotta be a place." I said, turning and looking at Lori and Carl. My eyes were not going anywhere near Daryl or Carol. "Rick, look around. There's walkers everywhere, like they're migrating." _Great, the last thing we need is Glenn over here stating facts we already know._

"There's gotta be a place, not somewhere we can hole up, but that we fortify. Hunker down and pull ourselves together, build a LIFE for each other." he said, beginning to get riled up. "I know it's out there, we just have to find it." Maggie once again spoke up. "Even if we do find it, and we think it's safe, we can never be too sure on how long. Look what happened at the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinkin' it was safe." Hershel interjected with, "And we won't make that mistake again." Rick quickly said, "We'll make camp over there." as he pointed to a rock formation. "Break of day we hit the road." I nodded my head and popped my fingers as I looked up towards the sky. Nightfall would be hitting soon.

"S'this feel right to you?" I heard Carl quietly mumble to Daryl. Beth spoke up, "What if walkers come through or another group like Randall's?" _Wow, I never thought of a group like Randall's coming through again. Well, I don't think they would around here. _Daryl spoke. "You know I found Randall right?" he asked Rick. "He was turned, but he wasn't bit." Rick looked over to me as I let out a shrug. I guess now might be the time he was gonna tell. "How's that possible?" Beth quietly asked. "What the hell happened?" Lori asked, searching for answers from her husband. "Shane killed Randall. Just like he always wanted to." Lori interjected, "And then the herd got him?" Rick was quiet for a few moments and as I almost started to speak he said, "We're all infected." "What?" Daryl asked, astonished at what he'd heard.

_For once, I actually knew something about the group that Daryl didn't. Man, I was gonna hold this over him. _"At the C.D.C., Jenner told me." Rick began. _Hold up, I didn't know that. _"Whatever it is, we all carry it." he said, his voice becoming a whisper at the end. The rest of the group looked around, shocked at what Rick had just spoken. "And you never said anything?" Carol asked, starting to get angry at Rick for keeping information from her. "Would it have made a difference?" I said, uncrossing my arms and placing my hands on my hips. "You knew this whole time?" Glenn asked, riled too. "How could I have known for sure? You saw how crazy that mo-" Rick started to retort before Carol cut in. "That isn't your call!" Glenn said, "When I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told for the good of everyone." Rick calmly replied, "I thought it best if people didn't know. Truth is Emily knew as well" he said, pointing to me. I nodded and turned my back to the group, feeling all eyes on me.

I took off towards the head of the road. As I turned around, I saw Rick walking the other way. _At least he's gonna take watch with me. _The others took off to do their respective jobs as I watched for any walkers. Well after night had came, Carol called us in for supper. I sat down next to Carl, across from Daryl and Carol. _Shocker. They'd been inseparable all day. I wasn't going to deal with this. If he wanted Carol, fine. I'd just move on, and find someone new. Although I really didn't want to leave Daryl. I really care for him. _ I looked around and saw most of the couples and families huddled together and it made me shrink smaller than I already had. _Out of all the people I want, I want my mom more than anyone else. _ I stared at the fire and listened to the sounds of the woods. _Sounds like home,kinda._

"We're really not safe with him. I mean keeping secrets like that from us. Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down." I heard Carol whisper to Daryl. _I know you're whispering, but if my ears pick it up, you might want to speak softer, or better yet. How about not at all? _I let out a scoff and muttered, "Wouldn't talk bout anyone would ya?" Carol hadn't heard me, but I knew the hunter had as he let out a sigh and said, "Nah, Rick's done alright by me. You deserve better."Carol placed her hand on his leg and said, "Your his henchman and I'm a burden." _Damn straight. I wouldn't have it any other way. _ He shook his leg as her hand slipped off. "What do you want?" he asked, with a hint of anger hinting in his voice. _I wonder if she could tell that it was there?_

"A man of honor." she said, looking towards the man. "Rick has honor." he said, stating a fact. "I think we should take our chances." I heard Maggie whisper into Glenn's shoulder. "Now, don't be foolish." Hershel responded. He continued. "There's no food, no fuel, no ammo." The leaves rustled as Beth instantly sat up. "What was that?" she asked. Daryl quickly spoke up, "Could be anythin'. Could be a coon, possum." "A walker." Glenn quickly added, striking fear into some. Carol started speaking, "We need to leave. I mean, what are we waiting for?" _My god, just shut up. _"Which way?" Glenn asked as Maggie pointed to a section of trees. "Last thing we need is for everyone to run off in the dark, so sit the hell down." I grumbled. I got numerous looks, but one was filled with thankfulness. _Rick's. The only true person I have on my side right now. _

"We don't have the vehicles and no one's traveling on foot." Rick said. "Don't panic." Hershel said. "I'm not sitting here waitin' for another herd to blow through." Carol said, elaborating her point with her hands. "Then take off and fend fer yerself." I said through clenched teeth. "We need to move, now." was all she said in response. I felt Daryl's eyes on me. I looked to see a glare, seeping through. _Oh well, __it wasn't his problem. _"No one is going anywhere!" Rick whispered harshly. "Do something!" Lori, hushed. "I am doing something!" Rick said, finally letting it all out. "I'm keeping this group together, ALIVE." I let out a sigh as no one seemed to believe it Rick. _Hell, I believed in him, no matter what. _"I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people for Christ's sake!" _And there goes the ball. Wonder how this is gonna work out._

I looked up from the ground and saw poor Carl's face. He never knew that Shane wasn't bit, he just knew he was turned. _Things were about to get ugly, and fast. _ Everyone's faces dropped as they stood their silently as they thought of the lost person. "You saw what he was like," Rick added. "How he pushed me, how he compromised us and how he threatened us." He stopped for a moment. "He staged the whole Randall thing." I said, letting everyone know. Rick got back in the conversation and said, "Led me and Emily out there to put a bullet in our back. He gave me NO choice. He was my friend, and he came after us."

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Daryl bite on his lip and Carol shift closer to him, trying to hide herself behind him. _Ain't gonna do nothing. _Carl started crying as Lori shifted her hold on him and hid him beside her stomach. _I wonder how the baby would survive if we didn't have any of the vital prenatal vitamins and things like that. Lord help us when she's ready to come. _"My hands are clean." Rick said as he brought me back from my thoughts. All was silent for a few moments before he said, "Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead. Now I say there's a place for us, but maybe it's just another pipe dream." _Ain't ever heard it called that before. _"Maybe I'm fooling myself again." he said.

"Why don't you go and find out yourself? Send me a friggin' postcard." Rick said harshly. I looked at the faces to see some with anger, hurt, and even some with shock. "Go on, there's the door." he said, swinging his arms behind him towards the road. "You can do better?" he asked, motioning to the people around. "Let's see how far you get." _Poor Beth and Carol looked scared shitless. Good, they needed it. There was no time in this world to be unafraid. Being afraid is what keeps us going. Keeps our emotions high and hypersensitive of the area surrounding us. It's a good thing. Helps us keep our humanity. _I slightly nodded my head as Rick spoke once again. "No takers? Let's just get one thing straight. You're staying, and this isn't a democracy anymore." _Then what is it? A Rick-tatorship?_

I inwardly chuckled at my own joke as I felt the temperature slowly start dropping even more than it already had. Rick took off in the opposite direction as I took stand up on the car. "I'll watch for a bit while you get some food, T." I said as everyone was dead silent. They scampered together for warmth as I heard the familiar hunter's footsteps come up behind me and stand up on the hood of the truck. "The hell you want?" I asked, not looking at him as I felt another pair of feet on the bed of the truck. _Sounded like Maggie or Glenn. _He cleared his throat and said, "To say sorry." I let out a snort as I felt his eyes cast a glare towards me. "Somethin' funny?" he asked, looking at his fingernails. "Sorry ain't gonna cut it Dixon." I said, using his last name.

His head whipped over to face me as if he'd been struck by lightning. "What ever happened to us getting' out together?" I said, turning my head to meet his with a small smile. "Cause that sure as shit didn't happen, and not to mention I was running towards the bike and Carol didn't acknowledge me even though she saw, but you know what, it's okay Daryl. I got out of there, and survived on my own just like I've been doin' fer months." I took a breath and looked up at the sky. "I never thought I'd be here, and you know what. I'm gonna go lay down in the back of the Ford and freeze my ass off because I don't have a sleeping bag. But I mean, I was literally on my way to get it whenever Carol hopped on and I got.. yeah." I said, slowly starting to lean down off the truck.

"Em." he began. "Don't you Em me, Dixon." I said, looking up at him. "You lost that privilege." I said, looking down at the ground. He let out a grunt. "Just hear me out." "I will not hear you out, not until we are somewhere where people can't hear us, and in the meantime don't you dare come near me, you got that?" I said, my voice laced with anger and my eyes tearing. _This is one relationship that I would hate to loose, but I can't stand to be around him right now. _I took off towards the truck whenever Rick stopped me.

"I want to thank you for what you did for me today." he said as he rubbed his eyes. "You're welcome." I said. "Shane was crazy, and I think you were right in not telling us. You didn't know if it was true or not and we never stuck around long enough to see if that doctor was telling the truth or not. So, yeah, I'm on your side. It was the right thing and it just happened to come up at the wrong time." I said, shrugging. "Do you mind if I sleep in the bed of the Ford?" I asked, looking over at Daryl attop a truck. "Sure, go ahead. Go in the Chevy and grab that blanket you and Carl were using." I shook my head. "No, you keep it. Keep Lori, the baby, and Carl warm. I'll be fine." I said. He walked to the truck and got the blanket and thrust it into my hands. "You need to stay warm too. I need you here."

I just smiled as he pulled me in for a hug. I hugged him quickly back and took off towards the truck. I hopped in the back of the truck, wrapping myself in the blanket. Tonight I was going to sleep with one eye open. Tomorrow I'd talk to Dixon and I'd get a good answer out of him.


	30. Chapter 30

_**AN: Holy shit this is the thirtieth chapter! Gosh, it makes me happy,lol. Sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I've been so busy especially with hospitals! My lord, both Granny's and my boyfriend are there! But thankfully they should all be home soon! So, I hope you like this chapter. I'm not going to write all of the winter months, but kinda skip through them here and there. So, please leave me a review, please, please, please. :) I love all you guys. Now read on! I think there's someone you're not gonna like in this chapter! (; Also, there's a little speech that Emily gives to Daryl that is an inspirational one that changed my life, so if you'd like to see the video, tell me and I'll send it to you! Thanks again, lovelies!**_

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"Emily." I heard as I felt someone shake me. I immediately jumped up from the bed and grabbed my knife. "Woah, woah! Calm down, it's just me." I heard T-Dog say. I let out a shaky breath and wiped the sleep from my eyes. "Sorry T. Sleepin' with one eye open's harder than it seems." I said, letting out a slight chuckle, looking up to see the sunrise just barely peeking out. He let out a similar chuckle and said, "You got that right. Sun'll be up soon and then we'll be on our way." I sighed once more. "Yeah. Seems like we were just settlin' into Hershel's." I said as I hopped off the truck and started folding the blanket.

"Yeah, it's sad." was all he said as he went to the driver's door and pulled a jar from behind the seat and took a quick swig. _No way. T's hiding alcohol? Please, dear god let it be whiskey or shine. _I never liked to drink, but there was a few times in high school I partied. I knew how to have a good time. I slowly walked over to T and said, "What's that you got back there?" I said with a smirk. He quickly threw the seat back over it but not before I got a good glance at it and said, "Nothin', why?" I let out a laugh and said, "Hand some of that shine over." I stuck my palm out and made the grabbing motion before he let out a long sigh and reached back and got it. I took it in my hand and turned it up, feeling the alcohol run down my throat, burning the whole time.

I let out a groan and handed him it back. "Damnnnn." T said as he let out a chuckle. "Trust me, I know how to party when I wanna. I just needed something to take the pain outta my legs." He let out a chuckle and a long, "Sure." I smacked him lightly on the chest and said, "Hey now! If I wanna tip it back, lemme!" He just chuckled again and walked off. I looked around and smelled the early morning air. Today was going to be interesting, no doubt. _It seems like some people want to sleep in or we'd already be out of here. _I looked around to see Carol the only one still sleeping. Oh so tempted to just walk over there and wake her up. _Stupid bitch. I loved Sophia, and at once I liked Carol, but right now, oh not so much._

I let out a long sigh and grabbed my bow and began cleaning it the best I could. My poor baby's been neglected. I began tediously working whenever the wind picked up a bit making me shiver. _I wish I could've made it to the tent before the walkers came. I'd at least've grabbed my jacket. _I set down my bow and rubbed my hands up and down my arms. I let out a sigh and walked past the fire and into the woods. I didn't make it to far in whenever I heard Lori call out, "Where you goin'?" _Great, just what I needed. Everyone pestering me constantly. _"Takin' a piss. Wanna come?" I said, and pointed behind me. She nodded and I let her catch up before we both took off.

It was mostly quiet except for Lori's thunderous footsteps on the forest floor. "Any louder and you'd scare all the animals off." I said, looking over to her. She just let out a chuckle and said, "You know it." I smirked and leaned my head up towards the sky. I closed my eyes and sent up unsaid wishes. We quickly took care of our business. "Lori, I'ma quickly get some squirrels so you can go back if ya wanna?" I said, looking over at her. Her stomach was starting to pooch out, and now she'd start showing even more with the scarcity of food around the camp. She just nodded and started trekking back. "If we're all up and ready to leave and you're not back yet, I'll honk the horn three times." I nodded as I stretched my arms and looked towards the treetops, hoping for supper to be up there somewhere.

After a few minutes of trekking closer to the road we stopped on, I heard footsteps. I turned around, immediately raising my bow to meet whomever or whatever it was. The familiar redneck I wasn't too happy with was standing there, looking as gruff and sexy as ever. I lowered the bow whenever he put his hands up in surrender. "No need to shoot. S'jus me." was all he said as he looked up at the trees. I let out a huff and started walking away. "W-w-w-wait!" he said, hurriedly catching me by the arm. I sighed as I looked at him with sad eyes. _He'd see the hurt. If he didn't, maybe it was better this way. _"Emily?" he questioned, with soft eyes. "Daryl, I have to get food for the group fore we leave. Let go." I said, looking down at my arm he was holding. He didn't release my grip immediately but after me shaking and yanking on my arm trying to get it out for a bit, he obliged.

I slowly walked away and began shooting squirrels with my bow whenever one would come up. After what felt like thirty minutes I decided it was time to walk back to the camp. I had never heard Daryl's footsteps retreat so I called out, "I'm headin' back. You can stay here if you want. Don't matter to me." He just let out a scoff as I walked back to our camp, taking casual looks up at the sky, seeing the sun coming up fully to show morning. _Just another day of living in this hell hole. _I let out a sigh as we both came upon the road. Thank god everyone was up and ready to go, otherwise I'd be pissed off even more than I already was. Rick saw us and called us over to the group. He began talking as we came up to him, me standing beside Hershel and Maggie. "Okay, we need seat placements. Carol either you're going to freeze on Daryl's bike, or you can ride with one of us in one of the trucks." She nodded as she mulled over the thoughts. _Was I not supposed to be near Daryl anymore? Seems like everyone thinks that way._

"So here's what's gonna happen," he began. "Maggie, Glenn, Hershel, and Beth will ride in the green car. Lori, myself, and Carl will take Hershel's Chevy. Now, I don't want to take the blue Ford, but we'll have to if we absolutely need to." he said. "What bout my bike?" I heard Daryl pipe up standing next to Carl. _At least he wasn't by Carol. Just another way to make me madder. _I crossed my arms and cocked my head to the side. "It won't fit in either of those two and I ain't drivin' that thing in the winter, less we are more southern than we are now," he said, shaking his head. _Don't blame him, it'd get fucking cold this winter. _Rick let out a sigh and just nodded his head. "Whenever he stops driving he and T-Dog can take the Ford. So that leaves Emily and Carol. Where do y'all want to ride?"

Before I even had a chance to answer, Carol quickly piped up and said, "I'll ride with T." _Mother fucking cunt ass smart mouthed bitch. _I shot her a glare that could kill anyone within a ten foot radius. She just looked at me with a sweet smile, "Is that okay with you, Em?" she said. I let out a scoff and said, "Why yes Carol! It's just perfectly fine!" I threw my hands in the air to let out some of my frustration. "What's wrong?" she asked, pretending to not know exactly what she was doing. "You wanna know what's wrong Carol?" I asked, getting closer to her face. "You, you are my fuckin problem. You saw me go down and didn't give two shits to tell people to stop for me, that's what my fuckin' problem is!" I said, beginning to scream at her.

A mix of gasps let out from members of the group as Carol just put on a fake act. She looked appaled and said, "Hon, are you imaging things? Let's go get you some water." she said, touching my arm. I smacked her arm off of me and said, "Hell no, and you know what the fuck I'm talkin' bout!" Finally, Lori had had enough. "Emily! Watch your language!" I turned my head to her and said, "Know what Lori? Why don't I just get out of y'alls hair? Would that work out for you? Maybe I should just get my own car and take off in the opposite fuckin' direction away from you damn people!" I took a breath as I looked in the faces of the people I'd supposedly been able to call my family. I threw the squirrels I had on my belt to Carol. "I bring food in for you people all the time! I keep that redneck in line over there! And did dishes, and did your damn laundry! What more is it that y'all can ask from me? No one went to check on me or anythin'! And Carol's been givin' me the stink and blaming me for every bad thing ever since Sophia was killed!"

"Emily-" she began before I cut her off with a hand wave. "I saved your daughter and you think I wouldn't save her again?! I loved her and you're just jealous because she loved me too and you only wanted her for yourself! Newsflash, me and you ain't got nobody! And because of that, I'm leavin'!" I said in a loud huff at the end. "Woah now, Emily. Hang on a second before you go spoutin' things you don't mean." Hershel said. I looked at Hershel. "You and your family showed me the best hospitality I've seen in a long time, Hershel. I appreciate everythin' you've done for me when I was injured. And trust me, I meant it. I'm leaving, and it's for good. I was on my own before, might as well do it again." I said, looking at the ground.

"You can't possibly. We just got you back Em." I heard T say. "T, hon, I love you, but I'm goin' and there's nothin' you can do to stop me." I turned my back to the group and walked back to Daryl's bike. The whole time I was walking I wish someone would have said something but they didn't. "I'm just grabbin' my knife and extra quivers Daryl. No need to think I'm stealin' somethin' of yours." I didn't look up to see his face. "Now, seein' as how y'all need a gas trip, I'll just plant myself here and move out when y'all do." I walked over and sat down on a stump overlooking a small creek, running alongside the road. I heard all the muttering and the occasional "Emily" through people's conversations. I honestly didn't care one bit. Granted, maybe I was taking my anger a little too far, but lord knows I was getting tired of being looked at like I was. Especially from Carol and Daryl.

A pair of light footsteps broke me from my thoughts. "Hey kid." I said, as Carl came and sat beside me. "Hey Emily." he said as he matched my gaze at the creek. "Do you really want to leave us?" he said. I let out a sigh. "Honey," I looked at him. "I love you all, well I love most of you guys. Y'all are great people, but I just don't fit with you all. I'll definitely miss you the most when y'all take off." I said and ruffled his hair. He didn't bother to fix it and just let it stand in place. "You know, I know why Sophia took off that day." he said. My head instantly whipped around to him. "What do you mean Carl?" I questioned. He took a deep breath before he started. "Sophia said she wanted to be like you. She liked how you and Daryl just took off in the woods and brought back food for us. She wanted to help." I nodded my head as I continued to listen to his story. "I got mad for some reason and just told her to take off. She took off crying towards the barn and I didn't go to help her."

He let out a long sigh and took in a sniffle. I drew him closer to me and said, "Carl, honey. It wasn't your fault, and don't you dare say it is. You did it out of anger, but I know Carol told her to not go towards the barn and she did. It was her fault, not yours." I said as I wiped his hair out of his eyes. "Why are you tellin' me this though bud?" I said as I let him go. "I'm not sure. I guess I'm telling you this so you'll stay here with us maybe?" He said smiling. "Carl, honey, I've made up my mind. I'm goin'." He just nodded and stood up. "I wish you could stay with us forever. I'll really miss you Em." he said as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. "I always liked you the best." and then he walked off. I felt some tears pool into my eyes as I looked out, trying to blink them all away.

As soon as Carl left, I heard another set of footsteps come and plop down next to me. I didn't have to turn to see who it was. "What?" I said, trying to pull off anger, but from Carl's confession, I couldn't. "Saw what the kid did. What's that bout?" Daryl said, throwing me off from his choice of words. _Out of everything that's happened, he wants to talk about Carl? _I shook my head and said, "Kid stuff and how he'll miss me. Why?" I said as I drug my foot along the ground, looking at the dirt. "Just wonderin'." was all he replied as he looked at me. I let out a scoff and turned to him. "What do you want Dixon?" I gave him my hardest glare and saw him recoil before he returned back to his stoic face. "Wanna know the truth about why I'm mad? We were supposed to get out to-get-her." I said, enunciating each syllable. "Now, obviously it seems like you didn't keep yer end of the deal up." I said standing up and dusting my butt off.

"The hell? I looked for you but Carol said you were gone with Rick." he said, looking back to her. "Hah!" I faked laughed at looked at him. "And you believed that?!" He just shook his head, "I didn't have any reason to not trust her." He began biting his nails and looking at his shoes. I once again let out another laugh and said, "Wow. Bet she didn't say nothin' bout me goin' down either did she?" He didn't answer so I said, "And that's why I'm leavin'. I love y'all, well some, but that's beside the point. I'm better off alone." I said as crossed my arms, leaving my bow on the ground. "Em." he said, forcing me to turn around. "Don't go." was all he said. "Is that supposed to stop me, Daryl? Because, it's not goin' to. It would've before, but not now. You fucked up, bad. Why did you have to believe her?" I said, my voice cracking.

He once again didn't say anything. "And there's a shocker." I let out a scoff and picked up my bow. My eyes caught on a squirrel as I shot it down. "There's my supper." I said as immediately began gutting it. "Yer seriously doin' this?" he said. "The fuck it look like then?" I said as I walked over to the place where we had a fire last night. I immediately found some close sticks and a lighter. "Use this for tonight." I said, out loud, not caring that Daryl was there. "The fuck Em!" I heard him holler out, forcing me to look out. "Got a problem, Dixon?" I said, rubbing my hands on my pants. "Yeah, fuckin' huge! Yer comin' with us!" I let out a scoff. "Oh am I? I thought I could do whatever I wanted to!" I said, pointing him in the chest with my finger.

"Not this time! Yer makin' a dumbass choice!" I was appalled. "It's my choice and I'll live with the damn consequences!" I said, and slapped him across the face. _I just hit him. Oh dear god, I didn't mean to do that. _"Daryl, I'm sorry, but just listen to me fer a second." He just rubbed his cheek and said, "Sure." _Thank god. _"Life is tough, that's a given. When you stand up, you're gonna be shoved back down. When you're down, you're gonna be stepped on. It's no secret. You're gonna fall down, stumble, get pushed, and land on your face. But everytime that happens, you get back on your feet. You get up just as fast as you can, no matter how many times you need to do it. Success is getting up one more time than you've been knocked down." I took a breath and continued again.

"If experience has taught me anything it's that nothing is free and livin' ain't easy. Life is hard, incredibly hard. You fail more often than you win and nobody is handing you anything. It's up to you to puff out your chest, stretch your neck, and overcome all the difficult, the nasty, the mean, and the unfair. That's how winners are made. At the end of the day, success is all we want. We all wanna win and the race will be one won. There's no question about that. You run faster and you dream bigger. This is in you." I finished as my eyes began to well with tears. "I learned that whenever I was in college, Daryl. I've lived by that every day. This isn't some dumbass choice, I promise you. It's what I think is right, but who knows, it may not be, but hey, everything is a choice ain't it?" I said, looking up at him for the first time during my speech. _There were tears in his eyes. _

"Em, you don't have to do this. I- I love you." he choked out. My mouth opened as I felt my heartbeat increase. "What did you say?" I said, breathlessly. "I don't think I heard you." He just nodded once again and said, "Em, I love you. I want you to stay. I've never ever felt this way before, and to see you like this, is just too much." He looked at the ground as he talked. "I was so worried bout you, but she told me you were safe so I was happy, but when I pulled up and I didn't see you, I died. And then even more when you were upset at me. Carol's just ugh." he said as he ran his hands through his hair and down his face. I was still shell shocked. _Daryl loved me. He actually loved me, and he'd been trying to tell that to me this whole time and I never let him._

"I love you too," I said as I enveloped him in a hug. He shifted a bit uncomfortably before relaxing into my hug. My head perfectly fit in the area between his shoulder and head. We stayed like that together for a few minutes before we both let go. "Thank you." I said. "Yer welcome." was all he said as his face tinted red. "So this means yer stayin'?" he asked, like a little child. "For the moment, yes I am redneck." He just smiled as I put out the fire and we both walked back over to Rick. "I really wish you'd change your mind Emily. I need you here, helping. We all need you." I just smiled and said, "Well, your wish is granted, but if one thing badly happens, I'm leavin'. I can promise you that." He nodded and enveloped me in a bear hug. "Welcome back." I felt happy, although I could feel a hard glare on my back. Carol was going down, whether she liked it or not.

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_**Since you guys are down here can you leave me a review? Pretty please. :D**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**AN: Thank you for all the reviews you guys left me. :)Here's chapter 31! Now that I'm out of school, updates will happen more often and frequently so that's a major plus for you guys! Some were upset at how quickly Em gave in to Daryl, but there's a little twist in here that I'm throwing you guys. You'll just have to find it out lovelies! There's also a new character being introduced in this chapter, and well you just may not like him... SO please review. Please? :)**_

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The cold. That was the hardest part of winter. Few weeks passed without incident as the whole group traveled on throughout the southern tip of Georgia, getting away from the big cities. No further incidents happened with Carol, thank God. She stayed in her vehicle as I stayed in mine. Daryl and I had taken to getting close, but never like before. I was still pissed as hell that he would do that to me. I hopped into my new Dodge truck I found and turned it on, the silence of the engine comforting. Thank god I knew how to fine tune some engines. I was basically the jack of all trades. I turned the heat on as far as it would go and waited for Daryl and T-Dog to jump in. I heard the both doors open as T slid in the back and Daryl in the passengers seat. "Too fuckin' cold fer this shit." I heard Daryl mutter under his breath.

"You got that right man." T said, shaking his head and running his hands up and down his arms. "Give the truck a minute and you'll be warm." I said, pulling my hair down from my ponytail and let my curls hang around my face. "Seems like it's getting warmer anyways." The men just nodded at my comment and looked out their windows. "Ya know something Em? That time in the CDC, how did you know how ta work that grenade? It just suddenly hit me." T asked. _T must be thinking about Jacqui. Such a great woman, unable to live this cruel life. It's even taking a tole on me. _I let out a sigh and brushed my bangs back from my eyes. "Just had the wrong friends T. Plus, when I was tryin' to get outta Atlanta I had all these geeks on me and there was one layin' round. Familiarized myself pretty fast." I let out a chuckle as Rick honked his horn once, signaling that we were on the road for a while. I grumbled a, "Here we go," and put the truck in drive and took off. We were silent for a majority of time before Daryl let out a snort.

"What?" I asked, casually glancing over at him. "Nothin'," he replied easily and continued looking back out the window as we drove down a small back road. "Mhm." I said back and adjusted my hands on the steering wheel. Suddenly, T's booming voice brought my attention elsewhere. "This thing got a cd player?" he said, peering at the radio. "I think so. Why?" I turned my head slightly towards him. "Cause whoever owned this truck must've liked Cd's." He pulled out a whole case from underneath his seat. Daryl quickly snatched them from him and popped one into the player. I let out a snort as the first couple seconds of a song played. "What you snortin' bout over there?" Daryl grumbled. I let out a laugh and said, "Outta all the cds in there you just had to pick the country one didn't ya?" He muttered under something under his breath as T let out a loud moan.

"Seriously man! Country music! Ya should've never taken this truck Em! Now we're gonna get Mr. Redneck up here singin' all day and night now." T leaned his head over to his window and started beating his head on it. "Hey now!" I said. "Don't be bashin' the baby. This four door beauty gets thirty miles to the gallon. Better then what you was drivin'! Plus, I don't think he even knows this song." I said, laughing. I looked over to see Dixon shaking his head. _He actually didn't know it. Hah! _"What the hell is this song even bout?" he asked. "Well, it's called Boys Round Here by Blake Shelton. Talks about booze, girls, and tobacca." I said, hitting the accent hard. T let out another moan and said, "Great! The only black man alive, stuck in the truck with two hard ass mother fuckin' rednecks! Can my day get any better?" Daryl and I both let out loud laughs as T said, "Screw y'all. I'm takin' a nap."

As soon as he laid down and was just about asleep, I saw Rick begin to slow down. All of sudden, he braked hard causing me to slam on the brakes. "What the hell?! Em your ass better have a good reason as to why I was thrown in the damn floor!" I turned my head slowly to see T's body thrown on the floorboard of the backseat, clutching his arm. I let out a huge laugh and stepped out of the truck, continuing to laugh. The rest of the group clutching their clothing to them looked at us with puzzled expressions. I looked over to Daryl and saw he had a slight smile on his face, which was slowly fading. I turned away from him and looked at where we stopped. We'd come upon a small gas station with pumps that had "NO GAS" written on them. I opened my door and grabbed my bow before I did anything else. I saw Daryl do the same. "Emily and Daryl, I need you to loot the store, see if anything's salvageable or good. Beth, T-Dog, Hershel, stand on lookout. The others and I will go to the bathroom, and then we'll switch and be on our way outta here and continue on." I just nodded at Daryl as we both took off towards the store, not paying attention to anything else.

We both approached the door and on the count of three, kicked it in. Daryl went in first, me quickly following. The inside was completely scattered, everything on the floor in separated sections. I looked at Daryl with a raised eyebrow, wondering what happened, but he looked equally as confused. I loaded my bow just to be careful, and started poking and picking at things with my feet. Daryl walked behind the register and grabbed packs of cigarettes for himself while I actually looked for things that mattered. I lowered my bow whenever I found some protein bars that looked good. I stuffed them into my pockets and grabbed some packs of gum, thankful that some people had left them alone. _I missed gum._ I heard Daryl moving around and grabbing things so I continued to as well, but I stopped whenever I heard an odd sound. There was a moaning sound, and it wasn't walkers. I slightly whistled at Daryl and he stopped immediately what he was doing. I put my finger to my lips and motioned him to come over to me. He quickly came and whispered, "This better be important." I nodded and said, "Listen."

He let out a sigh and turned his head in the direction I pointed. We stayed quiet for a few minutes while the noise kept on happening. Slowly, Daryl turned his head to me and gave me a questioning look. "Wanna go check it out?" I whispered, pointing to the room right in front of us. "Bum rush the door?" I said. He just put on a smirk and said, "Hell yeah." On the count of three, we both took off towards the door. I swung the door open as fast as I could. Daryl trained his crossbow on the man sitting in the floor, with no pants on and his hands in his lap. "Gross." I said aloud as the man quickly scrambled and put on his pants. I walked around the man while he was fixing himself. "And just who the fuck are you guys?" the man said, his northern accent peeking through. "Wow, a yankee!" I said, and laughed. "Answer my question!" the man said, gaining on me. "Wanna get shot in the ass?" Daryl said, menacingly. He slowly backed off as I said with a smirk, "I think the question is, who'd you see to get yerself off on?" He sneered and said, "You pretty girl."

I let out a disgusted noise as I took in the man's appearance. He looked no older than twenty five, with dark brown hair and green eyes. He wasn't too terrible looking. He had on good clothes that weren't really dirty and his face was unusually clean._ Something's weird here._ Daryl kept his crossbow trained on him while I said, "Stand still and if you move, well. It'll be a bad mistake." He did as he was told, so therefore I went forward and frisked him. "Woah now, girl. You can touch thunder if ya want to." He said with a sly smile. Before Daryl could do anything, I said, "Oh really?" I brought my knee to his junk. He hit the floor and started coughing. "Was that touch good enough?" I said, smirking. "Daryl, watch him. I'ma call Rick and see what he says we should do with shithead here." He just nodded through his anger as I called out the store door's to Rick. "Gotta problem here!" I shouted. Rick and T took off towards us as I walked back over to the guy.

"Name's Blake. Says he's twenty four. Lived in Michigan and moved down here not two weeks for the world went to hell." Daryl said as all of us surrounded the man. "So Blake." I said. "Gas station. Interesting choice of a hide out." I bent down to his level and looked at his face. He flinched away from my closeness and said, "Warmer than you think in here. Is this your whole group?" I looked up at Rick and he said, "There's some others, but I don't think you'll get to see them." Everyone's faces looked at Rick, wondering what the hell he was going to do. "We'll take you, but if you fuck anything up, I'll give Em and Daryl the pleasure of killing you, however they choose to." he said. "Who's he ridin' with?" I asked, standing up and popping a piece of gum into my mouth. "You." My head whipped around as I looked at Rick incredulously. "Why me?" I asked as Daryl began biting the inside of his cheek. "You found him, plus I'm sure he'll be gone before too long." Rick said and walked out of the door.

"Damn." T said. "Hey, bud. You get to ride with me!" he said and began laughing. "Shut the hell up, T." I said as I picked Blake up by his collar and began dragging him to the truck. "Daryl, can you grab the stuff I left on the counter over there. There's some dip and shit if ya like it." He nodded and walked off while I walked slowly behind Blake. "The Dodge's mine. Backseat right is your space." He hopped up in the truck as I got in the drivers side and waited for one of the men to come over. Finally, T walked over. "Hey, I gotta pee, watch him." I said. I walked over the woods on the side of the road and quickly did my business and walked back to the truck. I got in the truck and waited for Rick to take off. Finally, he did and I put the truck in gear. "Ya know, I find it hot when a woman knows how to work a stick." Blake said from the back, trying to start a conversation. Before Daryl could do anything, I heard T smack him upside the head. "Come on man!" he said. Thankfully he stopped talking for a while. We were about to come up on a highway whenever Rick suddenly pulled over without honking.

"The fuck?" I said as I looked over to Daryl. He just shook his head and motioned for me to pull over. I shifted my gears and came to a stop as I turned the truck off. I saw Lori and Carl both hop out of the truck, running to the treeline. Lori had to puke and Carl probably had to pee. I turned around to face Blake who was staring out the window. "Hey Blake." I said. He turned around and met my eyes, sliding them down my body. "Watch it dickweed. You're gonna listen to me, and you're gonna listen good. Ya hear me?" He just licked his lips and nodded. "Now I don't know how you've been living but uh, you look pretty clean, so you must've been somewhere recently. So first things first, you try any funny business with the ladies and I'll cut yer balls off. I'm a surgeon, so I know how to make it hurt. Understand?" He just gulped and nodded his head. "This here is Daryl. He's a mean ass redneck. If I's you, I wouldn't say nothin' else bout my body, mk?"i said, popping my fingers. Daryl just looked over at me and gave me a hard glare with a nod of compassion.

He kept his eyes locked on him as I pointed to T. "That's T-Dog. Just don't fuck with him. We'll save the introductions of the other ones for later." He just nodded as I looked back over to Daryl. "Wanna drive for a while?" I asked. He just nodded as I climbed over him,not even bothering to get out. He slid underneath me and just got settled whenever Lori and Carl made their way back to the truck. They got back in as I got comfortable and stared at Daryl. "What kinda truck is this?" I heard Blake ask from the backseat. "It's a Dodge dually." I said, not bothering to turn around. "You know trucks?" he asked. "Somewhat." I said, picking at the dirt from under my nails. "Pretty cool." was all he said as he went back to being quiet. After silence overcame the truck for a while, Daryl looked back to see the both men asleep. We were the only ones awake. "Pussies." was all he said while he continued to drive.

"Hey, T drove last night, so he can be sleepy. Dickhead's just here. God, I don't like him." I said as I let out a yawn. "What you yawnin' for Em?" he said, looking over at me. "Hey, I drove for most of the morning into midday! You slept some this mornin' don't lie." I said, and stuck my tongue out. He flushed a shade of red and said, "True." I just laughed and said, "Of course it's true, I was the one that said it." He just cast me a sideways glance and then looked in the rear view mirror to see how Blake was. "I really don't like him either, but like Rick said, I don't think he'll be here too long." _Of course he won't be here too long. We barely have enough food as it is, let alone another mouth to feed. I wouldn't mind if it was a child, but this guy. He's just a dick that finds amusement out of looking at women and whacking off in his own little corner. _"Of course he won't. Not if I have anythin' to do with it." He nodded and slowly reached his hand out to me. I took it slowly in mine, shocked at how brave he was. He never showed affection around people. _Well, these were sleeping people, so I guess that's why. _I yawned once more and kissed his hand. "If yer sleepy, go to bed. We'll more than likely be drivin' into the night. Stupid if ya ask me, but hey, it ain't a democracy anymore."

I just nodded and said, "Okay, but if ya need me, wake me up and you can get some sleep. I know you'll be tired." He nodded his head as I looked out the windshield at the unfamiliar ground we'd been traveling on for the past hours. "Ya know Daryl, it's really beautiful out here." He nodded his head. "I've always wanted to live someplace like this. I mean my farm had woods, but nothing like Hershel's or this." He kept his eyes on the road, but started to stroke his thumb up and down my hand. The feeling was somewhat comforting. "I live out this way, actually. We'll be passing my house tomorrow if we don't stop throughout the night. Maybe I can convince Rick to stop and loot some of the houses, grab some things from mine. That is, well, if there's anythin' left." I sat up and said, "Well, shoot fire Daryl! I don't think anyone, let alone a walker, would break into yer house. There's no way." I laughed once more as he looked at me, strangely.

"Yer a weird woman, ya know that right?" he asked, seriously. "I know! Ya know if we woulda went west of Atlanta, I coulda showed you where I lived. Wasn't nothin' to fancy. Two levels, backyard, field, and god knows what my daddy done with it. Sometime's I think it'd be better if he was dead when I got back. I'm tired of the bruises and the marks." I looked down at our hands before he said, "Wait, yer still livin' with yer dad?" he looked somewhat shocked, but also somewhat angry. "Well you remember how we had that farm right?" He just nodded as my heart started to flutter. _He remembered. _"Well after it went to shit, I sold some of the land so I could make some money and move out. Well, my dad found out so he would not let me leave. I tried so many ways to leave, but I couldn't no matter what. He got upstairs, I got down. If we crossed paths, well, you know." He just nodded as he looked at a scar that was visible near my shoulder. "The more we talk, the more you know about me, but the less I know bout you." I said, as he continued looking out the windshield. "Whattya wanna know?" he asked with a small smirk?

"What did you do before this?" I asked wanting to know just the smallest details. "I was an architect." _An architect? Holy fucking hell! _"An architect?! Like the people that make buildin's and shit?" He just nodded at my little outburst. "Damn redneck! Now I know why you go sleevless all the time." I said as I touched the leather winged jacket sitting on his shoulders. He just nodded and said, "I was really good at math and hell barely made it through college. Still payin' back loans." I just shook my head and said, "Well I'll be damned. Daryl Dixon the hickest man I've ever met, went to college and is architect." His cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I continued smiling at him. "Yer somethin' else." I said. "Ya know, the more yer around me the worse yer vocabulary gets. I mean, damn, yer worse than me sometimes." I shook my head and said, "Ain't ya heard. The further up ya go, the hicker the accent, but stupider the redneck?" He looked confused for a second and shook his head. "Don't say that I have." I just laughed and laid my head back against the seat. Daryl slowly pulled his hand away from mine whenever I heard T in the background making noises. That was fine with me, sort of. This was Daryl. He wasn't one for pda, so why should I be upset.

"_Wanna know something Em?" I heard my boyfriend, Tommy say. "Wanna know what babe?" I asked, batting my eye lashes. "You're the prettiest college girl I've ever met, and well I've met a lot sweetheart." I laughed and said, "Is that supposed to impress me?" I looked around my apartment and saw the tv showing an old rerun of Doctor Who. "Well, just maybe." he said. "Well it doesn't Tommy. You're my boyfriend, and you're constantly talking about these other girls when I'm right here. I mean, honestly. It gets kind of annoying sometimes." I said, playing with the ends of my hair, not wanting to look him in the eyes. "The hell did you just say to me?" I heard him ask in a low voice. Any other circumstance and this would be good, but not now. But today, I was fighting back. "You heard me." I said, mustering up all the strength I had in me. "Take it back before I have to hurt you." I let out a scoff, "Hurt me, please. Do it. Don't think I won't press charges on you." He looked momentarily shocked before he got up off the couch._

_I followed suit and stood, meeting his gaze. Tommy always was a shorty. "Bitch, you take that back." I let out a scoff. "My house, and I'm telling you, we are over. Now get the fuck out of my house. NOW!" He stood there for a moment before he pushed me with all his strength into the glass coffee table. I felt the glass shatter into a million pieces into my back, each one sending blood pooling down my back. I let out a cry as I heard movement upstairs. "Ya wanna get out, you do it now. Otherwise, you're going to jail Tommy."_

I awoke with a gasp to find Daryl staring hard at me. The others in the truck were awake now so I muttered, "I'm fine," under my breath so he would know I was okay. "Bad dream?" I heard Blake ask. "By the way, you never told me your name. What is it?" I wiped the sweat from my face and fixed my hair. "Name's Emily, and yes, somewhat bad dream." I just looked at Daryl and his face was full of concern. I gave him a look that said I was fine, but he didn't believe me, I could tell. T looked up and said, "We should be stopping soon. The elephant up there'll have to pee." I just let out a small laugh as Blake spoke up again. "Ya know, I was a psychologist, I can help you with those dreams. And Emily what's your last name, I swear I know you from somewhere, I honestly do." I just looked back at him and said, "No thanks, I'm good. And it's Ross. Why?" He sat there for a few minutes and said, "I remember! You worked at the same hospital I did!" I shook my head and said, "A ton of people worked there, you honestly expect me to remember?"

He just laughed and said, "Do you remember the first guy that you did surgery on that had a gunshot wound?" I nodded my head and said, "Yeah." He looked happy and said, "I was in that room! I only went in there cause the guys was Merle Dixon. I mean seriously, what kinda hick name is that! Not to mention he was on twenty different kinds of pain pills and drugs! Such a druggie! He was my patient for like three years." _Whoa, did he just say Merle Dixon! Hold on. Hold on, hold on._ "Slow yer role, did you just say Merle Dixon!" I asked, screaming at him. "Yeah, why?" I just looked at Daryl as I realized I saved his brothers life. "You got some explainin' to do dickweed." was all he said as Daryl looked straight at me.


	32. Chapter 32

_**AN: Hi there lovelies! Have you missed me? I hope so! Well on the bright side, there's some 'action' in this chapter. I still can't believe I'm this far in, gosh! Also for those of you who do not know Senoia, Georgia is where the town Woodbury is. So there might be a little something something there who knows? ;) So, I hope you like this chapter and please do me a HUGE FAVOR and review? Please? :D**_

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"You of all people know Merle Dixon?" I said, looking confused. "Yes, he was a patient of mine. Erratic but when he was loyal, man was he." he said, fiddling with his hands. "Why the questions? You know him or something?" he asked, curious. "Woah woah wait a minute. He was your patient? You lived in Michigan. Things don't add up here." I said, pointing to him. "I moved here literally a month before this whole thing started. But how do y'all know him?" he asked once again. Daryl was silent as he continued to drive. "His brother." I said as I turned around and got quiet. "So that makes you Daryl Dixon." he said as if he just figured out the greatest puzzle in the world.

I turned back around and sent him a glare. He was quiet as I turned around. "Your dad do the same things to you as he did to Merle?" he asked. I immediately turned around and faced Blake. "I suggest you kindly shut the fuck up before Daryl pulls this truck over and stomps yer ass." I said, pointing my finger to his chest. He instantly shut up and leaned back in the seat. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here." he said, silently, underneath his breath. Daryl let out a grunt as he shifted the truck, not paying the man any attention. _He of all people should've said something. Just from what Daryl told me, there's no way Merle would go to a shrink. But maybe he had. _We drove for the next couple of hours until the sun began setting. I could see Rick looking ahead for a place to stop. Finally, we took a backroad off the highway and came to a secluded area. _Looks about as good as any._

Rick honked his horn once, so the rest of us pulled over and got out of the trucks. "Let's set up camp tonight here." Rick began. "Daryl, you go out and get some meat, take someone with you to get some wood. We'll try to start a fire here. Get out your sleeping things and pack together, tonight's gonna be a cold one." he said as I looked over to Blake. "Hey Blake," I said, "Come with me. Help me get T's and Daryl's things settled while they're working." He just nodded as Rick looked towards me. He beckoned me over. I held up a finger signaling one moment. "Blake, go to the truck and in the toolbox there's three sleeping bags. Get em out and bring 'em here." I said. He just nodded as I took off towards Rick. "What's up?" I said as I placed my hands on my hips. "How's the new guy?" he asked, peering over to the truck. "Little annoyin' but leave him with Daryl any longer and it'll stop soon. Ain't found out too much. Well, I take that back. He worked at the same hospital as me, and to make it even more interesting, he was Merle Dixon's shrink or whatever you wanna call it." Rick looked appalled. "You mean to tell me he's dealt with Merle before?"

I just nodded my head and looked over my shoulder to see him gathering the sleeping bags. "He might actually be worth somethin', but right now, he's just another mouth to feed." I said, sneering towards him. "Yeah," Rick sighed. "Who knows, let's make him prove himself. Best way as any." I said, picking at my chipped fingernails. Rick just nodded as Carl ran up. "Dad, where's my sleeping bag?" he asked. He looked over as Blake came up as well. "Well Carl, I'm sure Em's not going to be too fond of sleeping with Blake so do you mind if you give her yours?" He looked uncertain for a moment. "Oh really, please that isn't necessary. I'll just get in with T or Daryl, it's no biggie. Let the kiddo have his sleepin' bag." Rick looked uncertain, but I cut him off before he could say anything else. "Please, Rick. I'll be fine." He just nodded as he looked over to Blake. "Place 'em here." he said.

Blake gently sat them on the ground. Rick began the introductions. "I'm Rick, this here is my son Carl, and my wife is over there tending to the supplies with Carol." He pointed over as I saw Maggie and Glenn begin to help. "That's Maggie and she's with Glenn. Her father is Herschel and younger sister is Beth. You already know Daryl, T, and Em, so I think that covers everyone. Make yourself somewhat comfortable, and well, just sleep with one eye open." Rick walked away quickly and over to his wife. _Some major tension right there. He must've told her the whole story about Shane. Well she shouldn't have been two timing in the first place, even if he was 'dead'. Oh well, they'll work things out... Hopefully. _I heard Daryl clear his throat behind me. I started speaking before I turned around. "Already introduced him to the group. Not formally, just pointed and said their names." He nodded as he handed me five squirrels. "Might as well get to guttin'," I said, looking at Daryl. He just nodded as I walked closer to him and pulled his knife out of his sheath, getting as close as I could. His breath instantly hitched as I started backing away.

I turned around and said, "Blake, ya know how to skin and gut?" He looked quizzically at Daryl then at me. I had a solid smirk placed on my face as Daryl was just plain red. "Uh, yeah I do." I smiled at him, somewhat fake. "Good, then you can help me." I took off towards a tree as I hooked the squirrels up with a string. I felt Blake watching me the whole time. _Creepy as fuck, man. He's gonna have to back off, or I'd do something that wasn't very nice. _"Throw the skins over here and the guts in another pile. Then go off and bury them in the woods somewhere. Ain't takin' no damn chances with us bein' out here in the middle of god knows where." I said, as I made a cut into the squirrels stomach. I instantly got splattered with blood. "Sum bitch just ate too." I muttered underneath my breath. "So, tell me about yourself Emily." Blake said, looking straight at me. I cleared my throat and said, "Uh, born in Tennessee, only child, twenty nine years old. No mother, don't care bout my father. I was a surgeon and a dancer before this. I think that pretty much sums it up." I said, continuing to gut the animals. _I am on number two and he ain't even finished with one. Could he be any slower? _

"A dancer and a surgeon? Those are a bit weird to put together, don't you think?" he asked with a slight chuckle. "Not to me." I replied back cooly. _For some reason, I didn't want him to know too much about me. He seemed creepy, not to mention the thought of him with Merle Dixon. How'd the pipsqueak survive? _"What kind of dancing?" he asked, bringing my past up again. "Well, I did everythin' but I specialized in ballet. Shocker, I know." I said, finishing the third squirrel. "Just toss those two over here and let me finish them cause yer takin' too long." If he was upset, he didn't show it as he gently moved them on the string. "You're twenty nine?" I just nodded, not really wanting to talk to him. "I'm twenty four." I nodded my head once again. "You don't talk much do you?" I let out a chuckle. "Yer just tellin' me things I already know, so no need to talk." He just looked down at his nike tennis shoes. I felt Daryl's hard glare sending daggers through my back. _Oh ho, someone was getting jealous. _

"So uh, what's up with you and redneck's brother?" he asked quietly, as if to not anger me. I shot him a glance and wiped my hands on the grass. "We are, well, I don't know." I said, not paying any attention to the glares on my back. "Seems like you want to be more, but don't all at the same time. You're a tough case to crack Emily." I let out a scoff. "This is the first time you've really talked to me and this is what you get? Wow, you must've been REAL good at your job." I pulled a bandana from my coat pocket and wiped the rest of the blood off my hands, hoping he picked up on the slight sarcasm. I quickly picked my bow up from the ground. Blake looked a little shocked but didn't say anything. "Wanna know somethin'," I said as I turned around. He looked at me and shook his head. I walked closer to him. "Daryl and I have been through some tough shit, I'm sure ya know that." He nodded.

"He made a huge promise, and broke it. So yes, maybe I do want him, or maybe I don't. I've been through hell and back to get where I am now, but here's the thing. I'm like a wounded dog. Come near me and I'll bear my teeth, but sometimes all I want is to be comforted and taken care of once in a while. Understand?" He looked down at his hands and then back up at me. "I do. You and Merle would have been great friends. I understand why you feel that way about his brother." I just looked at the ground and sighed. These days the ground and my shoes were the greatest things to look at. Thankfully, Rick called us all to the center. "Okay, who's going to take first watch?" he said as everyone had already begun getting in their sleeping bags. "I guess I will. I mean, I slept on the way up here." I hadn't heard a word the others said as I took off up the little hill we'd turned down in.

My eyes stayed glued to the road, making sure that nothing was coming. My thoughts immediately went to what Blake had said earlier. _What did he mean whenever he said Merle and I would be great friends? How does he understand the way I feel about Daryl? _I loosed my grip on my bow and ran one hand over my face, pushing my curls from my face. _I needed a hair cut, and bad. _I let out a long sigh and continuously looked up and down the road. "I wish I knew where we were." I said aloud, to no one in particular. I jumped whenever I heard Blake's voice come from behind me. "Bout ten minutes from the nearest city, which I think is Senoia." I just nodded my head. "You even come up here with a weapon?" I asked, amazed at his lack of weaponry. "I mean, I can take care of myself, but that's just me, you need to have a weapon on ya all the time." He pulled out a small knife. "This good enough?" I nodded and said, "For just now yes. Other times, no. You'll need somethin' else. Gun, compound bow, or hell just a machete. Somethin' other than that knife." He nodded and walked closer to me.

"You know, you're really pretty. Someone ever tell you that?" he asked, looking onto the road. I nodded and said, "Maybe once or twice." He let out a chuckle and scooted closer, to which I automatically began stepping away. "I'm not one for touchy feely, sorry Blake, but yer too close." He instantly came closer. "What do you think yer doin'?" I said. "Come on. When's the last time you got some action, pretty girl?" I scoffed as I kept backing away. I lied. "Just the other day. Hell, you got yerself off yesterday if I recall correctly." I had wound up pressed against a tree. "Seriously, Blake, do you want to get yerself killed. One scream and I can end everythin' and you'll be dead. You want that?" I asked, my voice slightly shaking. "You just need some loving." I let out a brisk chuckle. "You're a psychiatrist and YOU of all people are trying to get in my pants?" He stepped closer. "You mean to tell me out of everyone here, you would not choose me?"

"Not my type," I said quickly. "Prefer men, not young boys." The smirk instantly fell off his face. "The fuck did you just say to me?" I reached around the tree and felt the comfort of my wooden bow behind it. "I know you heard me, Blake." I firmly grasped an arrow and instantly raised my bow. "Did you honestly think I was gonna go down without a fight?" I asked, laughing. I began circling him. "And it was very stupid of you bringin' just a knife up here. Pathetic." I said as a looked him in the eyes. The longer he stood there, the more angrier I could tell he was getting. "Blake, are you just jealous cause you can't have me? I know you know that Daryl and I have somethin', but you think I don't deserve him. Am I right?" I said shaking my head. "Hun, just cause I's a surgeon don't mean shit. I can read people just like you can." He started moving towards me. "Emily, I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no other choice."

My face scrunched in confusion. "I leave you no other choice? What the hell do you mean?" My voice wavered but not my bow. "I think you should just come with me. It'll save everyone and there won't be a big deal." I once again shook my head. _Seems like all I've been doing lately. _"What?" _I was so confused. _"You know what, it doesn't even matter." He backed off from me as I looked frantically around. "Okay, what the hell?" I muttered underneath my breath. I didn't take him out of my sights as I walked back to the road. "Creepy up through here," I heard him say. I nodded and kept my bow ready. Finally, without any interruptions or weirdness from Blake the sun began shining through the clouds of the early morning. "Sunrise is always beautiful." I heard him mutter. I didn't pay him any attention as I heard the others begin to awake and rise from their sleeping bags. I turned as I heard footsteps fall behind me. "Em, did you take watch all night?"

I nodded and let out a yawn. "No one woke up, so I just took it. I'll let either T or Daryl drive today and I'll just take a nap, Carl. What you doin' up here anyways, bud?" He smiled and hugged me, "Well, I came up here to see you. Dad said I could." I looked over to see Rick, waving. I waved back and said, "Hey, why don't you go get me and Blake somethin' to eat. Make sure yer momma gets plenty too. She's feeding more these days." I ruffled his hair as he said, "Sure thing. I'll bring you something real good." He ran off the hill and down to Carol and grabbed something from her hands. I turned back around and heard three sets of footsteps behind me. "Wanna go huntin' fore we head out?" Blake jumped at the sound of Daryl's voice right behind him. I let out a snicker and said, "I would, but I'm dead on my feet. Take Blake with ya. He can carry 'em back." Daryl had a short look of confusion before he just nodded and said, "Be careful. Blake yer with me, come on." I watched Carl hand Blake a granola bar before handing me one as well. "Chocolate chip, my favorite!" I said as Carl took back off towards Lori. The two men took off towards the other side of the woods as T Dog stood next to me.

"That man is weird," I said. T nodded his head and said, "Go down there and get ya somethin' else to eat. Or get some sleep, something. You look dead on your feet." I nodded as I stifled a yawn. "You wanna drive later? I want the backseat, I think I deserved it." He chuckled and said, "Yeah, think you do. Girl, if ya wanted to sleep all you had to come do was wake this hunk of a man up!" I just laughed as he winked and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I shrugged it off and said, "I'm going to rummage and see if I can find me a steak or two down there." He laughed once again, the sound filling the quiet air. I took off down the hill and was greeted by everyone, well mostly. "You look dead on your feet." Herschel spoke softly, handing me a bottle of water. "I am. When we take off again, I already called the backseat." He chuckled softly and took a sip of his water. "You know, in these days, running from walkers, you forget about things like manners and hospitality. I'd hate for the world to become even crueler than it was before."

I once again nodded and said, "Yes,sir. I keep on tellin' myself that even if the world has gone to hell, I didn't let it take me down. I will fight it, and I will win." He looked up from his granola bar and held my eyes with a smile. "You're a wonderful girl. I wish there was more people in the world like you." I smiled genuinely and thanked him. "Your girls are better than I am, Hershel. You've raised them well." He let out a long, drawn out sigh and said, "Thank you. Although sometimes I don't feel like I'm doing their mother any justice." I walked over and placed my hand on his shoulder. "You've done a fantastic job. I'm sure their mother is lookin' down and has the biggest smile on her face." He looked up towards the sky and let out another sigh. "I'm just glad she didn't have to live in a world like this." I looked up and stared at the darkening sky, clouds beginning to take on nasty shades of grey. "I sometimes wonder why we're here, livin' in this harsh, cruel world." I took my hand off of his shoulder and coughed slightly. "Is there, uh, any food I could eat?" He shook his head, unknowing and ushered me towards Carol.

"Hey," I muttered quietly. "Is there anythin' I can eat?" She threw me a glare but handed me another granola bar, this time with peanuts. I instantly handed it back to her. "What?" she asked harshly, beginning to make a scene. "Are you too good to take food from me?!" Her voice began rising rapidly, with me getting angrier by the second. I heard my redneck and Blake coming back down the hill, but I didn't care. I was gonna fight back, but first I was going to kill her with kidness. It's what my mom would have wanted. _Mom. I miss you. _ "I'm allergic to peanuts, Carol." I said politely with a smile on my face. She scoffed and said, "I'm supposed to believe that?" I shook my head as the men came to a stop behind Carl and T-Dog. "Well, I know you're great at tellin' lies, but I ain't so.. You should believe me." I plastered on another fake smile.

"Well," she scoffed once more. She snatched it from my hand and said, "Well, it's the last one, so you'll just have to suck it up and deal with the hunger." I let out a fake scoff and said, "Would you do the same thing to Carl, Carol? Or even Sophia?" _I knew I had went to far, but it was deserving. I hadn't complained once of the food we ate. Granted it was because I found it, but I couldn't eat peanuts. My face would swell and I would have a time trying to breathe. I could even die if it got too bad. _She let out a whimper and walked closer to me. _She was gonna slap me. _The sound resonated off my face as I felt a minor sting of pain. "How dare you?!" she hollered at me. "Oh, don't you even go there." I said, turning around and throwing my bow at Daryl. My voice was laced with anger. I saw Lori and Carl's mouths drop in shock. "Carol, I have honestly about had it with your shit. I risked my life fer your daughter not once, but twice. Aren't we supposed to be a 'family'? You treat me like shit, I get fed less and less each time I go to get food, and now you're trying to force things I'm allergic to down my throat." Not once did I raise my voice. Seeing as how she was around Ed, he'd always yell. I bet she wasn't used to this way.

She didn't say anything as she stood there, still looking shocked. "Em, ya don't wanna do this." I heard Daryl whisper. I pretended as if I didn't hear him and continued my speech. "Everytime I come near you, you either you give me an eat shit glare, or you just pretend I'm not there, and well I've just about had it, sweetheart." Her face took on a level of fear, I hadn't seen before. She tried forming words, but before she could I cut her off. "What is it Carol? Now that someone's talking back to you but isn't yellin' you don't know what to do, do you?" I let out an exasperated sigh and stuck my hands on my hips. "If you want to hit me, go right ahead, because hell, I at least got that out of you." She pondered it for a second as I took in my thoughts. _Was I really about to let her hit me? Was I really going to do this? On the bright side, I would have gotten something other than a glare out of her._

I saw her clench and unclench her hand a couple times before Rick called out, "This is enough. Emily go get some sleep, Carol go do.. something." His family walked off but a majority of the others stayed. "Come on, somethin' Carol." I said once again, my voice softer. "If I let you hit me, will you finally stop bein' a bitch to me. This world is harsh and I'm sorry fer what Sophia did, but it wasn't my fault, you have to let that go." Her face flushed full of color. Finally she formed some words. "You know what I want." Everyone else looked confused, but I knew exactly what she wanted. "Just because I know, doesn't mean I'm goin' to let you have what you want." T's loud voice tore our attention away. "Guys, walkers!" I stared at Carol for a couple more seconds while the others took off, grabbing things. "If you want Daryl... Hunny, you're gonna have to fight me for him." She nodded her head and stuck out her hand. "Maybe the best woman win."

I let out a smirk and took off towards my dodge and her with Rick. I hopped up in the backseat to meet Daryl's face. "What the hell was that all about?" he asked, his voice gruff. "Just.. girl talk." I said with a smirk on my face. All the men in the vehicle looked confused as Rick honked his horn. "Off we go to neverland!" T said, locking the doors. "And well, a little competition." I muttered underneath my breath. Daryl turned to me and said, "What have you done?" I shook my head and said, "Oh nothin', you'll see." And thus began the endless ride of the day.


	33. Chapter 33

_**AN: I am so sorry for the late update! I have been extremely busy here lately! Not to mention, I'm now watching Sherlock the British version! I seriously am in too many fandoms! I mean, I'm a TimeLord, Sherlockian, WalkingDeader (we don't have a name do we?) Demi God, Shadowhunter, Runner, Dauntless, Potterhead, and a Vampire. I know, way too many lol! Well, here is Chapter 33! I hope you like it, and please leave me a review! It won't be long before we'll be getting back into the show's episodes!  
**_

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Finally the weather was beginning to warm up. Weeks had passed since Carol and I's little showdown, but nothing major had happened. Blake was beginning to warm up around the rest of us, and thankfully no weird behavior came from him. After weeks of traveling south, Rick had stopped us and wanted to back track back towards Atlanta, which would be helpful in ways of supplies. The majority of us agreed, so we had made our way back north. "Hey, Em, don't forget to mark a day off the calendar!" Daryl said from the backseat, which broke me from my thoughts. "Like I would forget to!" I said, throwing the calendar back at him. "So that makes today June 12. Doesn't seem like the new year passed all that quickly." T nodded his head and said, "Won't be long for I have my birthday!" He let out a loud chuckle and snatched the calendar from Daryl.

"Okay, everyone when's your birthday? I'm gonna circle it on here and it'll just be our own celebration, no one else!" His smile let us know he was being genuine. "Mine is June the 22," T said circling it. Blake said, "December, the 31." T circled it but before he looked at me, Blake continued his story. "Funny thing is, I was born at 11:59 at night. I was almost a New Years baby!" We all let a small chuckle which slowly resided. T turned to us and was about to ask before Daryl and I both said, "July 17." I looked up in my mirror and looked at Daryl with a quizzical look. "You serious?" T said as he put it in the calendar. "That's some freaky shit." We all let out a chuckle as T said, "Anyone know the others?" I shook my head and kept my eyes on the road as T and the others rattled out some they knew. "My mom's was the twenty first of last month." Blake said. _Seriously, so was my moms. Can anything else get any freakier? _"So was my mom's," I whispered hoping no one would hear, but of course Daryl heard. He always hears.

I felt his hand land on my shoulder for a second before returning back to his lap. "Seriously, I'm tired of constantly runnin. I want a place to stick around for a while, ya know?" I said to no one in particular, just trying to make conversation. A silence filled the moment after my question but thankfully Blake spoke up. "I mean, y'all people are on the road more than I've ever been since this has started. I have to give you guys props. I could never go through this, especially with how we haven't lost anyone." I let out an awkward cough as names started popping into, well, mostly everyone except Blakes mind. _Jacqui. Andrea. Amy. Jim. Sophia. Dale. Shane. _I let out another cough and said, "We've lost our fair share," I began. "There were others. A child and loved ones. We miss them all very dearly." I said as T thought of his lover and Daryl of Sophia.

"Anyways," I said with a smile on my face, "that up there looks like a mighty fine place." After a while, Rick thankfully let Daryl and I take the lead because we could scout places really well and fast. I honked my horn and pulled over to the side of the house taking it in. I grabbed my bow as the others grabbed their weapons and hopped out of the truck, leaving the doors open in case of us needing a quick getaway. I looked over the small house and pointed to Rick and the rest of the group to come over. "Looks good. Judging by the way the cars still here and the grass has overgrown the mailbox and the name, I bet that there is either walkers or humans in there. Can't hurt tryin to look in." Daryl said. I nodded and said, "There's two levels, who wants bottom or top?" Rick looked around and said, "Okay, uh Lori and Carl you scrounge around over there," he said pointing to the wood shed. "T Dog you can take Beth and go get some firewood."

"Emily, you can be with me and Glenn on the bottom. Maggie, Carol, and Daryl will take the top after we clean out the bottom. Herschel, you can come in and look for things we don't get, that sound good?" We all nodded but Blake spoke up. "What about me?" Rick looked at him and said, "Oh, help T and Beth. More hands we could use, the better." _to be honest, would it be such a good idea to let Carol clear out the top? Granted, there could be nothing there or there could be everything up there. Judging from the bottom, it only had to be a couple of rooms up top, so shouldn't be anything too special. _I popped my back and my shoulders before taking out my arrows and making sure I had plenty. "Let's do some gratuitous violence." I said as I loaded my bow. The others looked at me and laughed before we walked up to the door. I turned the doorknob slowly and pushed it forward. The door slowly creaked forward as I pulled my bow to the ready. I took in the name plate of the people that lived here. _Sean and Sarah. Well hopefully Sean and Sarah, I won't have to kill you. Hopefully. _

I turned to the left and walked into a hallway while Rick and Glenn took the other. The hallway led me into the kitchen which was painted a nice, deep orange with clean granite countertops that had an inch or two of dust on them. _No one's been in here for a while. _I searched around the large kitchen and found a door leading into another room. I grabbed my bow and arrow with one hand and slung the door open as fast as I could. As soon as I did, I heard the low hiss making its way through the air. I jumped back and I felt the hard island in the middle of the floor collide with my back. I let out a sharp hiss and saw two walkers come out from the pantry I had just discovered. _Sean and Sarah. They were the same age as me, if not younger. I'm sorry. _I let an arrow fly out just in time to take down Sarah, but Sean kept on moving towards me, not even taking a glance at Sarah. I quickly reloaded and let another arrow fly as Sean hit the floor. "I'm awful sorry you guys." I muttered to them as I drug them over to the side of the wall and laid them there.

I surpassed a shudder and grabbed my arrows out of their heads and wiped them on my pants, cleaning them the best I could. I let out a quiet sigh and closed my eyes. _Why did we have to do this? Why did we have to live in this world? _I felt a tear slide down my face as I opened my eyes and looked up. I quickly wiped it off my face and made my way back to Rick and Glenn. "Hey guys," I said as the turned around the corner shaking their heads. "I had to kill uh Sarah and Sean," I said, pointing to the nameplate. "Well, Sarah and Sean had two children already dead, but they were killed before the outbreak. They have no bites or anything but they're dead. No gun shot wounds or anythin. I'll go get the others and you can go look at them. They are right through there." he said.

I took off towards the room and slowly opened the door to see a young boy and girl laying on twin beds. They looked just like their mom and dad. The room was covered in action figures and barbies and an assortment of other toys. The walls were covered in posters of trucks and pop stars. _Man, I missed being a kid, although it wasn't all that good. You never had that many worries in the world. I miss where the worse pain was scraping your knee, or in my case beer bottles to the head or a belt to the back. I miss looking up at the clouds, hoping one day you'd go there. I miss the feeling my stomach would get whenever I was swinging so high up in the air. I miss it. _

I walked up to the kids and let out a shaky breath. I looked over the bodies and like Rick had said, no wounds or bites or anything. Their lips however, were blue. _Cyanide poison? _I leaned my head down towards their lips and wafted the air towards my face. _Definitely cyanide. _I took a couple steps back and looked around the room once more, before seeing Rick at the door. "Cyanide poison," I said, not meeting his face. "I thought so. Being a sheriff deputy, you get a few more advantages than the others." I nodded my head and looked around the room to see if there was anything we could take. "I don't really want to stay here," I said. "There has to be a safe haven, somewhere. Someplace we can bunker down for good." Rick just nodded his head and said, "Thank you, for believing in me. Although now another question lingers. Who would poison these kids?" I shook my head and took off out the door and out the front door. I took in a large breath and looked up at the sky.

"Hey Em!" I heard Blake call out. I looked back down and hollered back at him. "Be quiet! There could be more walkers round us right now, and yer ringin the dinner bell!" He instantly became quiet and as soon as the firewood team came up to me he said, "We have a problem." _Oh great, just what we need. _"A problem? Why are you askin me?" T pointed out to the trees which they had just walked through. "Bodies hangin' in the trees, at least ten, if not fifteen. No walker bites, nothin'. They're dead, Em. They ain't movin' or nothin'." Panic instantly began swimming in my mind. "Wait, T. One quick question. Did any of y'all see if they had blue lips?" Beth nodded her head and said, "All of them did." _This is weird, and fucking weird. Why would there be even more bodies in the forest with cyanide poisoning. _"Okay, y'all put the firewood on the back of my truck and pack quickly. Mkay?" They nodded as I ran back in the house.

"RICK!" I hollered out, searching for him. He ran up to me. "We have a problem. Can I talk for a second? But tell them to hurry the fuck up, somethin's really fishy here." He nodded and hollered for the rest to hurry. "T came back from the forest sayin that there was some people hangin' from trees with blue lips. There was easily ten, if not more. We have to get out of here. Now." He understood my panic and hollered for everyone to get down in the living room. "We have to get out of here, and NOW." he said with urgency. Everyone ran out of the house, and quickly jumped in their respectable vehicles. "Daryl, you drive!" I hollered as I was running to the truck. He understood and opened the back door for me just as soon as I saw two living people coming from the trees. "Go, go, go! Get the fuck outta here!" I hollered, just as they began shooting. All the vehicles tires squalled as we made our escape.

–

We drove for what felt like hours, going through numerous backroads and turns before Rick honked, signaling he needed something. We all hopped out and grabbed all our weapons, if that was even possible. "Bathroom breaks. Preggers over here," he said pointing at the retreating Lori and Carol walking off into the forest. "Everyone use nature's restroom while I talk to Daryl and Em for a second." The others warily took off, but still did, making everyone unsure and cautious of what was happening. "Okay, I knew it was weird with the kids, but I'm so glad T told me what happened." I said, letting out a long sigh of relief. "Alright, one of y'all tell me what the hell happened, and why the fuck we're getting shot at for!" Daryl sharply whispered. Rick reiterated the story while I listened and threw in tid bits every now and then. "Ya mean ta tell me we got us some serial killers out here?" Daryl asked incredulously. I shook my head in an uncertain manner and said, "Seems that way don't it. Come with me? I have to pee." I said as Rick relieved us.

Daryl and I walked off into the forest while the others were slowly starting to get back. "Why don't y'all go get in your vehicles? Just a nice precaution to have." I said with a little smile on my face. They nodded and all took off back towards the road, Carol with a hate on her face. I found a tree good enough and did my business and was buttoning my pants when I heard Daryl say, "Em." I turned around saying, "Yeah Dare?" I was met with a fist in my face, knocking me sideways. _Oh hell no. _I stood up quickly to see a man, no older than thirty five with a crazed look in his eyes. "You sure are a pretty thang." he said and smiled, showing a mouth full of three teeth. "Not today, man. Today's the day you don't want to fuck with me!" I snarled, pulling my arrow into my bowstring. "You really gonna shoot me, a man you just met? How do you know I ain't all that bad?" he said, goofily laughing. "Ya just punched my girl in the face, that's why." Daryl said, snarling his lip to match mine.

"I was gonna let you go, but now I don't think I am," the man said once again, lunging at me. I noticed the knife in his right hand, and immediately kicked it out of his hand as he let out a sharp yelp of pain. "Feisty little thing, aren'tcha?" he said to me in a low voice. I looked back to see Daryl's crossbow trained on his head. I nodded slowly, showing him anytime he wanted to hit him, I'd be out of the way. "Why don't you come here and give me some lovin'? I said showing the man my best smile and flirty voice. "Don't mind if I do, darlin'," he said and as soon as he began walking towards me, a single bolt went right through his brain. I let out a long breath and turned to Daryl. "Thank you." I said as I enveloped him in a hug. He instantly hugged me back, although there was a little awkwardness. "Welcome." I heard him mutter. "Daryl, you remember that day when we met Blake and I talked to Carol?" He nodded his head. "Well, she wants you," I said, slowly and quietly. Before he could answer, I began to walk off. I'd walked a good deal back whenever I felt his hand grab mine and spin me around. "Dar-" I began but was forced quiet by his lips. It was a rough,passionate, fiery kiss.

But as quickly as it happened, it was over. I detangled my hands from his hair and let out a sigh. "That's what I think of that situation," he mumbled. "I don't think Carol'll like that too much, but I don't give a shit." I let out a sly smile and took off back to the truck. Everyone hopped into their respectable vehicles as we took off, once again.

Thankfully after hours, the sun finally began setting which meant bed time. Rick finally signaled us off the road and into an overgrown pasture that looked oddly familiar. "Hey T," I asked pointing to the glovebox. "You've been markin' where we're at, right? Tell me what city we're close to, please." I asked, letting out a yawn. "We're actually on the other side of Atlanta. In between it and Senoia. Why?" I let out a small chuckle and said, "The road name?" He pondered over the map for a couple of seconds and said, "Old Highway 32, why?" I let out a chuckle and stepped out of the truck. I found the man I was searching for and walked to him. "Hey, Rick?" I asked, motioning for him to come over to me. He spoke a few words to Lori and Carl before coming my way.

"What's up Em," he asked. "Okay if T has been keeping track correctly, this is Old Highway 32, which means my house is right up the road from here. There's plenty of bedrooms and I'm sure there's fuel and supplies. I couldn't tell most of the way but when we hit this field, it's obvious. I don't know if my father will be there, though." I said as I whispered the last part. Rick's face contorted into confusion, as he looked out in the field which we'd taken cover in. "How far from here?" I ran my fingers through my outgrown locks and said, "Four houses up, maybe three to five minutes to get there. It might be a good idea for me and Daryl to go up there and make sure the house is still standin', ya know? Take the bike, get it started for the summer?" I said, wanting to make sure he completely understood. He just nodded and put his hand on my shoulder and wished me good luck.

I placed my hand on his and expressed my gratitude to him. I felt numerous sets of eyes staring into my back, but I brushed them off and once again said thanks to Rick. I walked back to the truck and opened the door. I was met with all eyes, and let out a laugh and said, "Hey redneck, wanna take the bike fer a spin?" I swear, the man's eyes lit up like a child getting to go the store to get what he's wanted for ages. "Hell yes," he said as he hopped out of the passengers seat and walked to the back of the truck. Blake, unfortunately had to follow us. "Need some help?" he asked as I hopped in the bed of the truck and began undoing the straps. "Nope," I said, smiling. "But thanks for the help." I finally got them all undone as Daryl motioned for me to come down and switch places with him. "Please tell me you know how to do this," Blake asked as Daryl gave him an odd look. "Yes, she does, now move."

He threw off the cover and gripped the front wheel under the tire, as I did the same to the back. I slowly began moving it back whenever I heard Blake let out a long, drawn out whistle. I ignored it at first, and continued pulling it off. Daryl rested the bike along the side of the bed and said, "Em, switch with me." I nodded as he helped me up onto the tailgate, one foot still on the bumper. I grabbed the handlebars, and finally got it off the truck. "Are you serious?" Blake asked. "What?" I asked a bit, harshly. "Alarmed at the fact that a girl just unloaded the bike or the fact that it's a Triumph Bonneville TR6C?" A look of amazement passed over Blake's face. "Ya know bikes?" Daryl asked to Blake. "Somewhat, although this is definitely not the original." I shook my head, "Obviously not. He put a peanut tank on it, and well this bike is just designed to be loud. Just look at the mufflers, cut em off, ya make em louder. But granted that's how the bike was built in the first place." I turned to the boys to see Daryl just smiling, looking all proud, but poor Blake looked shocked.

"Alright, let's head out," I said as I grabbed my bow and his crossbow from the truck. "Watch my truck while I' m gone," I said to T. He nodded and said, "Have fun!" I chuckled a bit as I walked back to Daryl. He was already mounted on the bike, so I just swung my legs over. "Where we headin'?" he asked, ready for the ride. "To my house," I said, lowly not wanting anyone to hear. I immediately felt him tense underneath me. "What if _he's _ there?" he asked, quietly. "We'll just deal," I said. He nodded and roared the bike to life. I instantly felt the rumble and let out a small sigh. _I loved this. I loved the sounds of the bike. _I wrapped my arms around Daryl and took in his scent as we began to move forward. I loved the feeling of the wind in my hair, but eventually we came upon the house that I hated, but needed right now. "Up there!" I hollered over the roaring of the wind. "There's a gate, I'll have to let you in!" I hollered and he just nodded.

Daryl pulled the bike over and shut it off as I hopped off. "What are you doin?" I asked as he loaded his bow. "Protectin' what's mine," he said with a small smirk. I let out a flirtish chuckle and said, "Oh honey, if we weren't about to go see my abusive father." He let out a smirk and said, "After you." I let out a long sigh and grabbed my bow and put it in position, ready for anything to happen. The yard and gate looked virtually untouched as did the barn and the shed. There was no vehicle in sight which meant he must've up and left or something. I whispered that to Daryl as we made our way to the front door. I touched the knob and felt it locked. "Hold this for a sec," I said as I handed him my bow. He looked confused but held it while I reached up around the door frame and found the key. I unlocked the door and pushed it open.

"Smart," he whispered as he handed me back my bow. I put in back up and walked into the house I hated. I instantly smelt the alcohol and crinkled my nose. _Always smelt like this. _Daryl stayed right behind me the whole time as I pried through each room. I made my way to the stairs and slowly started making my way up them. "You sure bout this?" I heard Daryl mutter behind me. "Of course, why else would I come here," I asked. He didn't say anything as we leveled off into the upper level of the house. I took off towards the left as Daryl took off towards the right, agreeing to meet in the middle room on that floor. _My room. _I entered the bathroom to see plenty of things the way I had left them when I left. I kept mine clean. I heard Daryl say clear as did I. We both walked to the middle door where I said, "Wanna see my room?" He let out a chuckle and said, "I guess, might as well."

I turned the door and closed my eyes. I flung the door open, but instead of Daryl's voice, I heard another saying, "Welcome home, darling."

* * *

_**AN: Please review! :)**_


	34. Chapter 34

_**AN: Guys, I've started watching Supernatural, so that's why there's been a delay. It's just tooooooo good. Although half of the time it makes me wanna curl up into a ball and cry. BUT THE STORY . There was a dull patch in the story, but now it's going to get very interesting. Some characters might make a reappearance and others might die in the upcoming chapters! You'll just have to keep on reading and reviewing! Here's chapter 34! :)**_

"Why hello, DAD." I said, stressing the hatred through my voice and opening my eyes. I saw my room, exactly the same way I left it, except with my dad sitting on my unmade bed. He stood up and outstretched his arm, extending his hand towards Daryl. "And who are you?" he asked, clearly not liking him. "Dixon. Daryl Dixon," he said, firmly grasping my father's hand. The look of shook was etched into his face, while Daryl's face held nothing but anger. "Alright, dick." I said, breaking them apart. "Now that is not a nice thing to call your father, Emily June. By the way, the name's Billy. Billy Ross." he said, looking appalled. I let out a scoffed laugh and said, "That ship sailed a long time ago, father."

"Well, if that's what you say," he said reaching for the bottle of Jameson on the floor. "Upgraded to the good shit, I see," I said as I snatched the bottle and took a long swig. The alcohol burned down my throat, but it felt comforting, the burn needed. I handed the bottle to Daryl and watched him do the same before he sat it down on my dresser, the whole time he was watching us with awe.

"I always had high tastes, I mean just look at you," he said, pointing to my attire. I had on a navy blue and white striped tank top with khaki shorts and my blake Nike's on. "Not a lot of clothing for June," he said. "You always know me, not wearin' clothin' fer anythin." I said with a fake smile on my face. "Listen, I ain't here cause I wanna bullshit. I have a group and they're movin' in here. Got a problem with it, well you can deal can'tcha?" He just looked at me incredulously. "What have you done with my daughter?" he asked, shaking his head. "She left, a long time ago." I said as quietly as I could. Daryl cleared his throat, waiting for anything to happen. I let out a sigh and said, "We have a group, ten at most. We could use somethin' like this. We've been out on the road all winter. I don't care whether you want us here or night, I made the choice and it's gonna happen. Excuse us."

I grabbed Daryl by the forearm and walked him down the stairs and into our kitchen. I opened up the pantry to see all kinds of cans and meals that the group would like. I peeked out the kitchen window and saw the shed chained and locked up. I let out a small smile and turned to face Daryl who was looking at me with plain curiosity. I let out a small chuckle. "Pantry-tons of food. Shed-chained and locked which means tons of fuel." He let out a smile that lasted for a few seconds before saying, "What are we gonna do about the kids and women?" _Oh right. _"I guess I'll just warn them and give them rooms close to mine, considering how light I sleep anyways," I said, resting my hands against the granite counter tops and stretching my back.

"Is this you?" I heard Daryl mutter from across the room. I stood up and walked over to the refrigerator where he was staring. We never kept things on there mostly, except for a calendar and a couple of pictures. _None of mom though. Never was. _I peered around Daryl and saw a picture of me sitting on the swingset out back, holding onto a broken swing with a screwdriver in my left hand. I wasn't crying, but just oddly peering up at the camera. I had on no shoes or socks, but had on a pair of jeans and a cut out t-shirt on. I was only four, here. _Mom was the only one that took pictures of me. Ever. _"I remember this," I said, taking the magnet off of the picture. "This was two weeks before Mom passed. I thought I could fix the swing, but I didn't." I let out a small chuckle.

"Found that picture whenever I cleaned out her trunk," I heard my dad say from behind me. I swiveled on my foot. "You cleaned out her trunk!" I said, holding onto the fridge. "Had to," was all he said. "Well now, what're y'all waiting on? Go get your group." I looked to Daryl and met his eyes looking at me. "You go and get them, I'll get the rooms and everythin' set up. Sound good?" He instantly tensed a bit, but just nodded his head. "I'll follow you out, Daryl." I said, pushing him out the kitchen door and closely following behind him. We walked out of the front door and I let out a huff of air.

"You sure about this, Em?" he asked whenever he got on the bike. "I took his shit for this long, I think five minutes'll be fine." I said, smoothing down a piece of his hair that was standing up. I let go and tucked my hand that wasn't holding my bow into my pocket. "Go, I'll be fine. I'm Emily Ross, ain't nothin' stopped me yet." I said, smiling. He pulled on a piece of hair that had fallen from my bun and said, "Just be careful. We'll be back as soon as I can get their slow asses movin'." I nodded and stepped back through the gate, letting him start up the bike. I closed the rusting gate, and watched him take off the way we came. I let out a sigh and ran my hands over my face, taking what was fixing to happen in. I walked back into the house to see dad sitting on the couch.

"Okay, here's the deal," I began, sitting down on the edge of mom's chair. "These people are good. You do not make me look like a fool for bringin' them here, or I will kill you. No drinkin' until at night, and even then it's in moderation and I will make sure of it. You scare the women or kid and then I really will hurt you. Do you understand me?" I said, venom lacing my words. "This is definitely not how I expected you to turn out, Em." he said, showing a full smile. "The fuck's that supposed to mean?" I asked, getting up and walking around the large living room. "All those years beatin' ya, I wished you would have turned out quiet, lettin' everyone run all over ya." He tsked, and took another swig. I walked up and snatched the bottle of whiskey from him. He didn't say anything. "Hand me the liquor cabinet key." He reached into his front pocket of his shirt and dropped it in my waiting hand.

"This ain't the only one, because I hid the other, and ya ain't gon find it." he said, slyly. "You think I give a shit, I'll sleep here if I have to, cause I don't give a damn." I snarled my lip and took off towards the bedrooms. We had a huge house, but there was never anyone here. I walked into the first guest bedroom and began cleaning the room to the best of my ability. I fluffed out all of the dust I could, and began to make my way to the next room whenever I saw my reflection in the mirror. I slowly shut the door and walked towards the dusty mirror. I extended my hand to wipe the dust off the mirror, but was amazed at my appearance. I touched my fingertips to the high cheekbones that had begun to sink in, showing off the tanness of my skin. My hair had begun to loose the curl because it now reached to my stomach, if not longer. My sweet, innocent blue eyes now held darkness in them, and was as cold as ice.

My collarbones peeked out of the black tank top that was laced with everything we'd ran through in the past months on the road. My skin was muscled and tan, something I hadn't seen in years. Well, years since I had worked on the farm. I let out a sigh and placed my hands on the dresser, and hung my head. I loved being home, I did, but it just feels odd now. Completely and utterly, odd. I let out another sigh and looked back into the mirror. I definitely was not the girl I was months ago.

I wiped my hands on my pants and was fixing to walk out of the door whenever I saw him standing there. "What do you want?" I asked, annoyed that I couldn't have the least bit of privacy. "Just checking up on my little girl, that's all." he said, while picking at his fingernails. "Ain't yer little girl anymore, dad. Now excuse me, I have to work on the sheets in the other rooms." I said, pushing my way past him. He instantly caught my shoulder as I flung myself through the doorway leading into the hallway. He turned me around and I was met with his finger in my face. "My house, my rules, you understand?" I crossed my arms and said, "Nope. My group wont like that, and well majority rules. Sorry." I turned on my heel and walked into another room, not bothering to take notice of the room, but just the bed instead. I worked my way through all the rooms and had just plopped on the khaki colored sectional in the living room whenever I heard the familiar sound of Daryl's bike.

I sigh of relief escaped from me as I got up and went to the door. I quickly went outside as the group looked around. "This is your house?" I heard Glenn say as I grabbed my bags from the truck. "Technically, it's my dads. I had upstairs he had down. Now guys, if I could have your attention please?" I asked, as loud as I could without attracting Dad's attention. They all turned to me as I cleared my throat. "Look, I don't wanna tell you he's all bad and all that, but stay clear of him. Watch your back round him, especially women, alright?" I said, looking down at my shoes. "Why?" I heard Carol ask. _Of course the stupid bitch was gonna ask questions. _"Just don't, okay?" I said with a fake smile on my face.

"Em's right," Daryl said from beside me. "Just stay clear and if ya need anythin' ask her. She knows where it'll be at. Alright?" he said, while checking his gun. Different responses came from the group as I turned my back. The others began doing what they were doing before, so I slid my hand around Daryl for a quick second and whispered thank you. His hand did the same before quickly returning to the gun. "Welcome." he said with a small smile. I let out a small giggle and said, "Want to sleep in my room?" He nodded and said, "I mean, might as well. Ain't wantin' to sleep with anyone else. Specially not Blake or T." A sly smirk appeared on my face, as I grabbed the rest of my things and took off towards the door. "Guys, any room on the bottom floor is yours. Dad's room is at the very end on the left. Take any one you want. There's also two bedrooms upstairs. It's on either side of mine."

"So do this mean I can sleep somewhere besides a couch?" I heard Carl ask excitedly. I shook my head as Lori and Rick looked at me. "Anywhere you want, bud." I called over my shoulder. I walked past dad on the porch and up the stairs, hearing Daryl's footsteps the whole time. I nudged the door open with my feet and took in my room. The dark blue walls littered with pictures and quotes remained unchanged. My desk was still as neat as I always kept it and my bed unmade, like always. "Favorite color is blue?" I heard him ask as I threw down my bag on the window bed. "Dark blue, to be specific." I said, smiling as I looked out the window and into the fields behind the house.

I let out a sigh and turned around to see Daryl peering at the pictures in the room. "You were a cute kid, what happened?" he asked, smirking. "I grew boobs." I said, taking the picture from his hands. _Prom. Most people love prom night, well not me. _"That was a bad night," I said, placing it back up on the wall and walking over to my desk. I pulled out the chair and sat down. "Welcome, Daryl Dixon, to the most uninteresting bedrooms on the face of the planet." I said, smiling. "I happen to like your bedroom, thank you. Beats mine any day." he said, biting at his fingernail. "We look like we don't belong here. Both too dirty." I said. "Wanna take a shower?" I asked, playfully. Shock and embarrassment covered his face as fast as it could before I said, "I'm just jokin, Dare."

He looked down at the ground and looked kind of disappointed. "I mean, unless you want to. Cause I mean, if you want to, let's do it." He looked back up to me with a smile. "I mean, yeah later, after everyone else has, then we can." He began walking around the room again and said, "You're so organized." I laughed and said, "Was a little bit of a neat freak 'fore the whole apocalypse hit." I walked across the room to my closet doors and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw all of my clothes still there, hanging up. "Even color related to," I said, turning around and smiling. He just shook his head and said, "Got any clothes that'll fit me?" I pondered the question a minute or two before I walked over to my dresser.

"I kept these cause I knew they would be worth money someday, or well you know," I stopped midsentence as I thought of me having children. " My children, one day." I said, clearing my throat. "You're an exception though." I said as I let out a small smile. Our eyes both fell to the numerous classic rock t-shirts in the drawer. "Grab whatever ya like," I said walking back to the closet. "You seriously like Creedence Clearwater Revival?" he said as I turned around. "Well yeah. What kinda rock do I not like?" I turned back to my closet and began sifting through the endless amount of shoes in my closet. I tossed at least three pairs of heels out of the way whenever I heard Daryl say, "High heels?" I shook my head and said, "Main surgeon at the hospital, had to go to many business meetings. Hated them all of course, but heels were required. Hate the sumbitches, but love the job." Finally after sifting through the heels, I found the tennis shoes.

"The girls will need new ones and I have plenty. Thought I'd be nice." I said, turning around to find him holding up a pair of lace underwear. "Dammit, Daryl, put those down!" I hollered, running and snatching them out of his hands. He just chuckled and said, "Yer underwear drawer's in a different place then most girls is. I just happened up on it." I shook my head and said, "Let's just go and make sure the others have found where they're supposed to sleep." I took off out of the door and down the stairs, expecting to see everyone making their way in, but they were all stopped looking at the house. "Never seen a house before guys?" I said, laughing and holding onto the banister. "I just can't believe this is your house." I heard T whisper in the background. "Bedrooms are that way," I said, pointing down the hall.

Everyone took off to the places I'd told them before, so I walked out of the door and went towards the backyard. I took notice that the fences still were hanging up and in good condition. I let out a sigh of relief. That would be one less thing we'd have to worry about. Fortifying this place would be a feat in itself. I heard footsteps behind me and before I could turn around, I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. "Your room is beautiful," Carol said. I slid my shoulder from underneath her hand and turned to her. "Glad you think that. Went snoopin' I presume?" I said, smiling. She nodded her head and said, "Had to. There's no way that this is too good to be true. I still don't know why you brought us here."

"A little bit of generosity and you people flip. I'd hate to see what you were like before this," I said, brushing past her and trudging up to the backdoor. "I want to sleep in your room." I heard her call from the yard. I turned my body slightly, looking at her incredulously. "You serious?" I asked, rubbing my face. "It's the best looking room in the house, so yes I do." I shook my head and laughed, holding onto the screen door handle. "My room, my house. Deal with it. Take my bedroom downstairs, it's just the same." I flung the door open and walked in the house, walking into the kitchen. Thankfully Lori was already sorting out the ingredients. "Here, let me help," I said, taking the bag from here. "We should be thanking you," she said, smiling. "No biggie," I said, offering her a warm smile.

"I put them this way in case of us needing to leave early." she said, placing the cans into a bag. "Good idea," I said, pondering over just how quickly we could get out of here if needed. "I have a question." she said quietly. "Shoot," I said, opening the cabinets looking for anything we could use or take from the house and make our own. "Whose room is all the way at the end on the right?" I immediately stopped in my tracks, and let out a shaky breath. "It was my mom's," I said after a few seconds, and going back to my work. "She had a knack for sewing, didn't she? I saw tons of blankets and quilts in the closet when Carl had me open it. Sorry if you think I was snooping."

I shook my head and placed my hands on the counter. "Nah, you ain't snoopin'. Yes, she did love sewin'. I like to think it's where I got my surgeon skills from." I said, moving my fingers. She let out a little chuckle and moved her hand to her stomach. "I can't help but wonder if it's a boy or girl," she said, rubbing her hands over her tummy. "You wanna know?" I said, walking over to her. "I mean, I am a surgeon, so that gives me a little somethin' don't it?" She looked genuinely happy and shook her head. "Come on, let's go to your room, unless you wanna go shirtless in my old kitchen," I said laughing. She nodded and we both took off. On the way Rick stopped us. "Hey, hon. Hey Em." he said, smiling. "I'm about to call a group meeting in the kitchen." Lori said, "Well, Emily here can tell us what we're gonna have. We'll be there in a minute." Rick looked happy and mouthed a thank you to me as he hugged Lori. "Okay, well get going!" he said, taking off, looking happier than I'd seen him in weeks.

We walked past the rooms and into mom's old bedrooms. It still kind of smelled like her. "I don't mean to ask too many questions, but why did your mom have a separate room? If you don't wanna answer me, you don't have to." she said, looking at the mirror. I let out a laugh, "Take your shirt off, and no I don't mind. Dad was a terrible drunk, but I don't think he's that bad now. Whenever he'd pass out on the bed, she couldn't sleep with him. She'd go in here." I said as Lori took off her top, exposing her rounding belly. "Really? How long did that last?" _The question struck me cold. _"Uh, well she only lived til I was four, so..." I trailed off, letting Lori think of what happened. _Although, that totally wasn't what happened. Somehow she'd survived and didn't let me know of it. Thanks, mom!_

"Oh, I'm sorry. She was a very beautiful woman," she said, looking at me. "Yes, she was. Alright, now let's look at this baby." I said, smiling. "Just stand up, mkay? No need to move or anythin'. I just gotta look at how it's sittin'." I placed my hands on the either side of her stomach. "You're gonna have a girl," I said, smiling. "You're sure?" she asked, smiling."Positive. Normally boys will sit lower and closer to the pelvic bone, but girls will sit up under the rib cage, like right here," I said tracing her ribs with my finger. "You thought of any names yet?" I asked while she got dressed. "Not really. Just my own, ya know, one's that Rick hasn't had any input on. Heck, he named Carl." I let out a laugh and said, "My mom completely named me."

We opened the door and walked back into the kitchen with warm smiles on our faces from the story she was telling me about how Rick had the hardest time watching her get a c-section. Everyone's eyes looked at us as we walked through the door. "Ahh, yer here now," I heard Daryl say as I took a seat next to him at the table. "Just checkin' on the baby," I said, patting his leg. I saw Carol on the other side of him throwing me a glare but I just ignored it. "So like I was saying, thank you Emily for letting us use your house." I smiled and nodded my head while he continued to talk about the fortifications that would have to be done quickly. Rick finally said, "I think that about sums it up." I smiled and said, "Just so you guys know, both of the showers in the house work. I will go last, so take off and share," I said laughing. I heard the sounds of chairs scraping and was suddenly engulfed in tons of arms. "I love showers!" I heard T say as he took off to find the shower.

A majority of the group went to their room and others went outside, therefore it was just me, my dad and Daryl sitting at the kitchen table. I cleared my throat and began picking at my nails, only to notice that Daryl was doing the exact same. "I don't know if I'm gonna like this Emily," Dad finally spoke up. "Deal with it, old man." I said, moving on to braiding my hair. "Is that anyway to speak to your father?" he asked, angrily. "Was the whippin's the way to deal with a daughter that did everythin' you said," I asked, annoyed. I pushed off of the table and pushed my chair in, "I'm goin' to my room if ya need me," I said as I made my way upstairs.

I threw myself on the bed and immediately felt the comfort of my bed. I heard pots banging downstairs and immediately knew that Carol or Lori had began to make some kind of dinner for us. I heard my door slowly open and silently close, before I felt a warm redneck laying close to me. "Yer bed is so freakin' comfy," he said, snuggling up to my body pillow. "Thanks," I said, sitting up and looking at him. "I think I'll just spend the whole time here." I scoffed playfully and got up off the bed and walked to the dresser and started opening up my drawers. "Do you think I have any need for this anymore?" I asked Daryl as I pulled out a pallet of eye shadows. He looked up from the bed and said, "You wore make up 'fore this?" I let out another chuckle and just shook my head. "No real use for it now," I said putting it back in the drawer and closing. I sifted through the other drawers and found money, chapstick, and other things that would've been useful back before the apocalypse.

"Like I said, no use for this now," I shut the last drawer and looked over to the bed to see Daryl sleeping. _Was he really asleep? Would he even let his guard down around me? If so, should I wake him up? Supper should be about done, and well he needed food more than most people around here. _I decided to let him sleep for a bit while I looked around my room some more. I found countless pictures and memorabilia whenever I heard him stir on the bed. "Hey, sleepy." I said, laughing at his bewildered look and crazy hair. "Why'd you let me fall asleep?" he asked, grumpily. _God that voice. Gruff and very nice. _I cleared my throat and said, "Ya needed it, sorry." Thankfully before he could say anything there was a knock at the door. "Come in," I said as I stood up from the floor. It was Carol. "Dinner's ready Daryl." she said before walking out of the door and slamming it.

"Someone's not happy yer in my room," I said smiling. "She better have cooked somethin' good. The kitchen had tons of stuff." I put my boots back on and was expecting Daryl to already be out of the door, but instead he was staring at something on the nightstand by my bed. "What are you lookin' at?" He turned and held up a picture of me from when I was a baby. "Oh my god, you were tha fattest baby!" he said and began laughing incredibly loud. "Shut up, okay! I can't help I like food!" I began trying to snatch the picture from his hand, but he was so tall. "Fuck you, Dixon!" I said, pouting my lips. "Oh trust me, you would." he said, getting all serious.

"So maybe I would," I said after a couple of seconds. "Now, let's go downstairs 'fore Carol has a heart attack and comes unglued. Come on now!" I said, and flung the door open. "Race ya downstairs?" As soon as it came out, he was already passed me and going down the stairs. "That man," I said as I closed the door and made my way downstairs.


End file.
